Anger Is a Catalyst for Change

I write a lesson I wished I had learned 10 years earlier, to feed our brains with intelligent content to start our week. I also share interesting articles, book quotes, and the occasional speech or TED talk to help us all get smarter, wiser and live better.

If a friend has forwarded you this email, hit the subscribe button below to sign up.

Happy Sunday!

The best way to get rid of the elephant in the room is to simply mention its existence. So I’m going to do just that. I’ll share with you all something that has been weighing heavily on my mind this week.

I’m not happy with the discrimination, racial injustice, and inequality that continues to exist within our society. We’re in the year 2020, but the divisions within our society continue to be polarising.

The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor highlight the extent of the problem we’re facing. They were murdered in the hands of the people supposed to serve and protect them, without violating their civil rights.

The Economist recently conducted a survey to understand the sentiment around George Floyd’s death. The results are shocking.

20% of voters did not believe Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. That’s one in five. We’ve all seen the video. This is one of the few times we can say with absolute certainty that each and every single one of that 20% is wrong.

It gets worse, 23% of people do not even think that racism is a big problem today. If almost 1 in 4 people within our society do not recognise we have a problem, implementing solutions to drive change will be incredibly difficult. It’s no surprise that our society continues to be divided.

It’s very easy for us living across the pond to think that these issues happening in the US isn’t relevant to us either. But this is not true. What’s happening in the US is very much relevant to people in the UK, and also globally.

Systemic racism and police brutality are British problems too. And the racism that killed George Floyd was built in Britain.

When we consider the wider theme, it’s obvious that we also have racial inequality, discrimination, and structural racism within our society.

My usual readers will know that I usually have something positive to say. But unfortunately not this week - and for good reason too.

The elephant in the room has been called out. I promise to be back with my usual positivity next Sunday.

Have an awesome week ahead,
Samuel

How to fix American policing

A brilliant article by The Economist. It raises the unanswered question about systemic racism within the US police. It also uses an example of the Camden police force to bring out what good policing looks like and how we can make progress.

African-Americans are nearly three times likelier than whites to be killed by police. In fact, being killed by police is now the sixth-leading cause of death for young black men.

How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change

President Obama wrote an article voicing his concerns for using violence to get your voice heard. He explains that the best way to drive the change we all want to see is by voting and election of senior officials.

So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.”

Economic Inequality and Social Injustice

Josh brown questions why one community gets treated harshly by police, while others are treated more favorably. He also questions why minorities are underrepresented within the financial planning profession.

He suggests that wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap is a major contributing factor to the different experiences of life in America.

The median Black household with a college degree has a net worth similar to the median White household without a high school diploma.

Tweet of the Week

This Week's Wisdom

“It’s as if you see the world through dark glasses, so naturally everything seems dark. But if that is the case, instead of lamenting about the world’s darkness, you could just remove the glasses.”
- In the book, The Courage To Be Disliked, by Kishimi and Koga

I use readwise to resurface content I've previously highlighted. My followers can get an extra month for free by following this link.

Final Word

If you know someone who loves to learn more about themselves and the world around them, I’d love for you to share this email with them. I try to make this the best email you receive each week, and I hope you enjoy it.

I’m also excited to grow and evolve this newsletter, making sure it remains relevant and helpful for all readers. Ideas, feedback, and suggestions are encouraged. Simply reply to this email, or drop me a DM on twitter @SamuelObe_

Subscribe below to receive new post updates the minute they are published. You will also receive my weekly newsletter, where I share interesting articles, books, quotes and lessons that I have learnt during the past week.