- Yusra Butt
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." -Nelson Mandela
We live in a time where the color of our skin determines the quality of life we will live. To those who choose to stay silent while there is an ongoing revolution, a long overdue one, your silence puts you on the side of the oppressors. White supremacy is not just a racist belief but where a black person has to work twice as hard to receive half the reward a white person was too. This is the America we live in.
The next time someone is ecstatic about being an American, I hope he or she understands that being an American comes with hundreds of years of corruption that still has not been undone. This is the America we live in.
June 19, 2020, will forever be a historic day as Juneteenth is recognized amongst educational facilities, workplaces, and the people. This day marks the emancipation of African American slaves from the confederate states in 1865. It marks the beginning of the commemoration of their freedom and achievements that allowed America to progress. Without their contributions, we would not be where we are today. Let's not forget the dark side of history where even the White House was built on the backs of slaves. Or their contribution to food, music, and pop culture. Everyone wants to bathe in their success but very few want to fight for their equality.
Although Juneteenth is now widely recognized throughout the country, it does not mean that a black man driving a Maserati, with his windows down, won't be pulled over by a white police officer just to see license and registration. It is the twenty-first century, we would think people who signed up to protect the American people who do just that, protect. Instead, we hear about extremely disgusting situations such as George Floyd left and right, he is not the first man to be killed in the hands of a police officer and the reality is that he is not the last. But this does not mean the revolution ends here. A revolution pushes for fundamental change and it does not happen immediately but through consistency.
The only way to make sure the lives lost to police brutality and white supremacy meant something to Americans, regardless of their skin color, is to continue the journey we are on. Not every day will be a win but every day is a reason to return tomorrow, change may not happen within a month or even a year but it will happen.
In meanwhile, I, Yusra Butt, am not a black woman so I could never possibly understand the turbulences that the black community has faced and overcome but I can try to do my part. The black community has always stood in solidarity with others in times of need, I hope Americans can recognize that and use their privilege to call for universal reform. Support black businesses, check in on your friends, and in the era of social media, there are numerous ways to help.
The lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, and the individuals that were never brought to justice did not and will not die in vain. Various organizations and petitions are circulating, please continue to donate, sign petitions, and do your part as a person with privilege.
- Yusra Butt
“The example of the believers is that they have mutual love for each other, they have mutual mercy for each other and they are like one body. If one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers” -Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
The world is currently suffering from countless issues, whether the conflicts are in our community or not, it is our human obligation to do our part. Sign a petition. Donate what you can. Use your platform. Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel feels out of reach, but the man-made issue in Yemen can be helped with the assistance of activists around the globe. Even if it is one post at a time.
And yes, man-made. Yemen would not be in the situation it has been in since 2011 if it were not for people wanting to further their agenda, greed for power, and lack of morals.
Let's break it down.
Yemen is on the brink of extinction. Time is of the essence and they are running out of clean water and food resulting in starvation, malnutrition, and disease where the lives of 30 million are being permanently changed. Water contamination, failing healthcare, and lack of sanitation is making the situation and outbreak even worse.
Coronavirus hitting Yemen has been one of the most catastrophic events Yemen has had to deal with in the part of their civil war for the past five-plus years. The lack of healthcare makes hospitals inaccessible and has made Yemen the largest humanitarian crisis while the world watches Yemen go extinct.
In response to Coronavirus, Yemen has about 500 ventilators and 700 intensive care units. But this is not the only disease Yemenis are facing. The cholera outbreak has leftover 100,000 cases unresolved as testing is limited and mostly unavailable. The United Nations and deemed Yemen the largest humanitarian crisis but this does not mean Yemen is receiving the aid it should be.
This humanitarian is just now being brought attention in the media but the problems arose in 2011 when Yemenis began peacefully protesting against their then president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Despite the president resigning and their vice president, Hadi, taking over, tensions arose along with political instability. Soon after Hadi fled, he combined forces with Saudi Arabia and decided to block everything from entering Yemen. The United States, siding with Saudi Arabia, gave billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia to further their political agenda. At this point, it is clear that every party involved has violated international humanitarian law. But this is not the first time and unfortunately not the last time either.
The United Nations is now pleading for support as Yemen is being hit hard. There are many organizations and ways YOU can help. Starting with petitions and donating, down below you will find various organizations to donate to along with a petition.
Where to donate-
Save The Children: https://yemen.savethechildren.net
UNICEF: https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/heres-how-unicef-helping-children-yemen/36793?utm_content=yemen2responsive&ms=cpc_dig_2020_Brand_20200109_bing_yemen2responsive_delve_none&initialms=cpc_dig_2020_Brand_20200109_bing_yemen2responsive_delve_none&msclkid=4ac83a5566281a96ccaa64bf16ee1edf&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand-COTM-Alpha&utm_term=unicef%20yemen
Project Hope: https://www.projecthope.org/crisis-in-yemen/09/2019/
International Rescue Committee: https://www.rescue.org/country/yemen
Petition-
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-war-and-end-the-famine-in-yemen/psf/promote_or_share
- Yusra Butt
It's just another Monday which means it's #NiceMessageMonday! Please remember to be the kind soul you are and spread some love. On this note... grab your cup of chai and munch on some popcorn as I take you through the whirlpool of working with Seventeen Magazine! Please do note that I by no means want to come off as bragging as I simply want to share this moment with all of you. I also attached the complete article down below, be sure to check it out! And don't hesistate to text me if you want to discuss ways we can make an impact on our community:)
Working with Seventeen started off as a very intimidating experience as the girls I was collabing with all had unique traits. For a while I did have thoughts floating around my mind like, "Why am I here" and "I'm not doing as much as I should be". It's fairly common to feel that way when meeting people who have similar aspirations as you do.
The interview process was extremely detailed and time consuming as it lasted over an hour and a half, there were six girls with different yet similar views. Questions ranged from what I plan on doing with my life to what I plan on doing tomorrow. There were moments I learned and embraced new ideas that had never once come across my mind before. But I think that was the beauty of meeting all these young, successful ladies. We all were learning and broadening our horizons as every word had truth to it. Our experiences and upbrining are what typically create our political, social, economic, and enviornmental stances.
Followed by the group interview, we had individual interviews so that the editor could follow up on what we said earlier.
To be quite honest the gruesome part was the applying process for the chance to be featured, and by that I mean typing up a short application paper! Personally, it was about sharing what I had already done in regards to mental health awareness and the refugee crisis. The magazine gave me a platform and exposed many others to how important it is for our generation to stand up and be proactive about any issue we are passionate about. For that, I am extremely thankful for Seventeen for giving the youth the chance to raise their voices.
Nothing butt love :)
