By SHANTI KAUR KHALSA
Sikh community
Santa Cruz

“I Can’t Breathe”

We all stood as witness to the brutal murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

People are speaking out about the unequal treatment towards people of color worldwide. Mr. Floyd’s death, as well as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, is the horrifying reality of the deadly impact of unequal treatment in our criminal justice system.

As members of the Sikh community, we hold righteous action above all else and must stand in protest against the stark certainty of racism.

The human breath is more than just a way to deliver oxygen to the body. It is a spiritual component of our being. As practitioners of Kundalini Yoga, we are very attuned to breath as we purposefully and thoughtfully inhale and exhale as part of our practice. Breathing is critical to a healthy body and soul.

When George Floyd said, “I can’t breathe,” he was losing his life. When we hear those words, we hear a mighty call to action.

In this age, at the dawn of social awakening around the planet, the scourge of racial injustice must be eradicated. The Sikh community in the United States remains committed to working towards positive change in our society, in our own organization, and within ourselves to make the fundamental shift away from racism. Sikhs in the United States and worldwide are committed to equal justice and a fair criminal justice system.

We call on all communities to work together to wipe out all vestiges of racism in our world.