I write this today with a heavy heart. I would say that I have a mix of emotions such as sadness, anger and disappointment.
First, let me make things clear- I am not writing a hate piece. I am simply voicing my frustrations on the current incidents that have taken place in this community.
We have had enough. Fathers are not coming home to their children. Mothers are scared for their children each day they leave the home. What’s even worse is that we can’t even be safe in our homes! We are sick and tired of the police brutality that has been going on in this country. It has to stop. The police are here to serve and protect, but now we are becoming scared of the ones that took an oath to uphold the law and build trust within our communities. Are they truly being held accountable for their actions? The answer is, NO. Is their badge more important than black and brown lives? That answer time and time again is, YES.
Is this the reality that we are living in? Is this 2020, the year of post Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, our current present? The answer is, yes. This is the state of this country.
Blacks are dying, left and right, at the hands of our “protectors”, more than any race in the U.S. Sadly, this is nothing new. It’s been going on for years. The only thing different in today’s society is the use of online media and the digital space. It’s much harder to sweep things under the rug when the incident is recorded. Honestly, without those who utilize their cameras for proof, we would never know some of the truths of these incidents. Even though, what we have been seeing is that even with hard video evidence, there will not always be a conviction, and the families of the victims will never receive justice or peace that they deserve. I call it the “blue line of justice”.
In the end, WE are fed up. WE are angry. WE want change! Yet, not much has changed from the early 1900s until now. It’s just “different”. Segregation is no longer “whites only” and “coloreds” signs at the bathroom stalls but instead it is COVERT RACISM. Much more systematic in some ways – meaning, living areas and district divisions, educational systems in certain urban communities versus those in white suburbia. For those that will probably say “but we HAD a black president “; you are blinded and not seeing the underlying issue that not everything is equal and just for blacks. Equality runs deeper than just what meets the surface and being able to mix with other races. It stems from being able to have the same economic opportunities, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
We ask ourselves, “What is the answer? What can we, as a community, do differently to prevent this from happening again?” At this point, no one has a valid answer. But I can tell you this…
We are deeply hurt and have greatly fallen, but hate will never drive out hate. As MLK said, “only love can do that.” If we stand as a united front (keyword “united”), we can put an end to the violence and the corrupt ways of systematic oppression that has affected us as a community. The biggest thing that hinders our community from change is division. A divided front will NEVER win. This isn’t a war. This is a realization of what is to come and what HAS to change in order for this country to be great.
Stand up for something or fall for nothing.
Signed,
Dom
Disclaimer: I originally wrote this post in 2016 and it is now 2020. These events are still going on today. Our current president in office is the face for racism and injustice for black men and women. So, let that marinate when we talk about how much things have “improved”. 45 is in office by running a campaign that spoke down on minorities and embraced white supremists. Black men and women are still dying at alarming rates by the authorities.
Please help in the cause for justice by donating, signing petitions, etc.
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Signed Dom 