In 2020, the police killing of George Floyd set off a global wave of both peaceful and non-peaceful protests against racism. As a Vietnamese student in the United States, I frequently encountered narratives that pitted people of color against each other, despite the shared experience of being victims of racism, white supremacy, and intolerance. Such divisive sentiments deeply saddened me, and at the same time, it has been difficult for me to talk about this topic because I was aware that I could not tell a Black American story as if I owned their voices and experiences.
Still, whenever I saw the innocent and heart-breaking eyes of Gianna Floyd in the news, I immediately thought of the eyes of many children who lost their families due to adults’ rage and avarice. I saw such innocent eyes from my own country and other war-torn countries, feeling as if they were asking me, “Where are our homes? Where are our futures?” To me, those angelic and painful eyes transcend the inhumane separation of people into smaller factions, bringing us together into one community of humans. My heart finally urged me not to stay silent in the face of injustice and violence.
This piece is composed for the North Park University Orchestra and its work with the Chicago Tender Youth Foundation. It is dedicated to Gianna Floyd and the memory of her father, George Floyd.
NPU Spring Concert 2021, In Support of Delphine Cherry, The Chicago Tender Youth Foundation, and All Victims of Gun Violence, April 15, 2021.
Deborah Stevenson (oboe), Molly Stevens (oboe), Anna Jacobson (horn), Dakota Williams (horn), Stephanie Guataquira (percussion), North Park University String Orchestra, and Tom Zelle (conductor)