In a better world, my professor would have course-corrected this student. I was left alone to do it, in a way that was free to my peers, but costly to me.

Prisons and penitentiaries (derived from the word penitent) were considered by early Christians as a way for people to reflect on their sins in isolation and emerge obedient. Eventually, Schenwar and Law write, the mission of penitence evolved into “the need to establish racialized control.”

How disrespectful it is that eight members of our community were killed and we were met with ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day’ greetings from white colleagues the next day. We saw more social media posts about celebrations than acknowledgement of our suffering and our grieving.

I did not feel vindicated that my testimony was proven correct but a deep sadness that what was foretold has come to be.

We have the tools — raw materials, surveillance, science, communication — to do better. “It is about political will” to make this a priority, so we don’t forget, like we did the lessons of the 1918 pandemic.

“If we do not move past the dysfunction in our communities, there will continue to be victimization.”