It’s easy to get distracted by controversy and politics, and lose focus and argue over which behaviors are acceptable and which ones aren’t. And I think it’s okay to have some of that discussion eventually, but before any meaningful conversation can happen, there has to be some sort of common ground.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that George Floyd should be alive right now.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that there have been many others like him who should not have died.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that police should be held accountable for their actions.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that the stain of slavery and racism has had repercussions across multiple generations.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that my experiences are different from yours, and the fact that I haven’t witnessed the same things as you doesn’t mean they don’t happen.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that racism still exists, and still causes pain.

We don’t have to agree on very much to agree that black lives matter.

We don’t have to agree on the best way to address the situation, or which political party has done the most damage, or all the factors that have contributed to so much fear and division and violence. We don’t need to add caveats or excuses or judgments or “what abouts” to agree on these things.

But we do need to care. Care that people are hurting. Care about justice. Care about human life.

We can be better than the things that want to divide us. We can start simple and go from there. There’s no magic wand, but there are small steps toward compassion.

To my friends who have felt fear and hurt in ways that I can’t ever know: My words here don’t matter much. But you do. Black lives matter. Not as a slogan or hashtag trend or a political organization, but as humans. Your life matters.