Woman

When nothing has been done
when the problem of the color line
has been ignored intellectualized and dismissed
when black bodies have been cut down
and communities shaken
in the silence of the moment
—a woman always arrives
to strike a match
shine a light and fight the dark
to stand against a brutal sea of blue.

It never fails.

~after “Woman” by Ingibjörg Haraldsdóttir translated by Salka Guomun∂sdóttir and quoted by Iceland’s former prime minister, Jóhanna Sigur∂ardóttir

Ieshia Evans heard silence as law enforcement officers clad in body armor approached her with guns drawn and zip-tie handcuffs at the ready. But her stand in the face of silence speaks volumes for many of us. I invite you to listen to her interview with CBS News.