Carol Dayton is pretty sure that Black lives matter, but she’s still weighing the metaphorical evidence on police brutality, issues of systemic inequality, and representation.
“When I started reading memes about racism, I realized pretty quickly that black people deserve the same treatment that white people regularly enjoy,” says Dayton. “But I think one really good metaphor would seal the deal for me to start going to protests and using the phrase, ‘Black lives matter.’”
So Dayton keep scrolling through amateur infographics and poetic Instagram art, where animals and trees represent the forces of racism at play in people’s lives.
“Wow,” said Dayton, reading a proverb about a boy and a bear. “Wow.”
“I don’t understand why she can’t just see what’s in front of her,” says Dayton’s friend, Amelia Owens.
“When Black people are getting beaten by cops, you don’t need to see it through the eyes of an owl, you can just use the facts in front of you!”
But for now, Dayton is still waiting for the right metaphor to hit her just right.
“I really love that spoons one people use to explain disability. Maybe they could come up with something like that.”
