Delroy Lindo

Because her desire to confront the gun violence that threatens our children—all of us—is real

When George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, my son, an African American man-child, was one month shy of his nineteenth birthday.

In response to that killing, he marched in a peaceful, but impressively incendiary, multigenerational protest rally, organized by some friends; kids he’d known since middle school.

What he didn’t do, was talk too much about whatever else he was feeling at the time.

Some forms of violence, distress, and pain are sometimes beyond one’s ability to articulate or verbalize.

There are no words.

No words, for the endless murders of Black and Brown men, and increasingly women, at the hands of police.

But how long can any of us be reasonably expected to suppress, muzzle, and navigate our rage—our fears—for our children and ourselves, in the face of such barbaric disregard for our fundamental humanity? In the context of a pathological epidemic of gun violence across the whole of society?

Some folks genuinely consider the lives—the bodies—of Black and Brown people/people of color to be fundamentally, preternaturally worthless.

In their eyes, we’re not human.

Even a minuscule list of victims is too long:—

Sonya Massey; Trayvon Martin; Tamir Rice; Breonna Taylor; Michael Brown; George Floyd; Sandra Bland; Walter Scott; Ahmaud Arbery; Daunte Wright; Sean Bell; Oscar Grant; Atatiana Jefferson; Stephon Clark-Botham Jean; Philando Castile; Freddie Gray; Eric Garner—and on, and on, and on, as we know all too well…

But in the face of such loss, this nation now has an opportunity to “gain”—gain a leader in Kamala Harris, who values life—all of our lives—and possesses an essential human decency, desire, and ability to manifest those qualities into legislation and public policy that will benefit all of us, yes, but critically, our children, and therefore, the future of this nation.

As district attorney for San Francisco, attorney general of California, and politician in the US Senate, she’s fought for people against malfeasance of any kind and brought criminals, wherever and whomever, to justice.

I believe as president, she’ll continue advocating for that.

She’ll be the president for our times, that we need.

I believe this in particular, given I met Kamala Harris years before she ever ran for public office.

She asked for my participation in a program she’d organized at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art for Black and Brown kids, inviting them into the museum, encouraging their broader participation. Encouraging their agency in relation to that institution.

I know firsthand, through the dedicated work I saw her engaging with all those years ago, her ambition, and intention to provide opportunities for underserved, disenfranchised communities, wherever they may be, is real. Her desire to confront the gun violence that threatens our children—all of us—is real.

I believe those qualities, writ large, benefiting the whole society, will characterize her administration.

She’ll be president for all Americans.

If ever there was a “no-brainer” or “slam dunk”—this is it.

The moment is now.

Delroy Lindo is an actor and producer who has received numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career. In film, he’s been awarded Best Actor by the New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics, and Critics Choice Super Awards, in addition to receiving career tributes from the Gotham Awards and Santa Barbara Film Festival. On the stage, Delroy has received a Helen Hayes Award nomination and NAACP Imagine Award for Best Actor. Delroy is known for his many collaborations with filmmaker Spike Lee (notably in Da 5 Bloods), his portrayal of “Herald Loomis” in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and will next make his directorial debut with the feature Jabari’s People.