Why do we
have to continue to reiterate that Black lives matter? That should be something
everyone should already know. Black lives have always mattered. Of course, we
know that all lives matter, but based on recent events it appears that the statement
of Black lives has fallen on deaf ears. This has always been the case. Since
the beginning of time, Black people have been mistreated for one reason or the
other. Discrimination against Black people has always been a situation that we can
never escape. I love being Black and Native American, but it appears White
America only sees me as Black. Of course, that’s okay; however, Black doesn’t
seem to be okay with White America when it comes to violence. Discrimination is very much alive today. It
doesn’t seem to get old or annihilated. Is it something that will always be
with us no matter what we do or say to make our culture great? We are still looked
at as the “problematic Black humans”. Being Black shouldn’t be a punishment but
a celebration in our own right.
“Black is
beautiful” is something that I was always taught. It is beautiful when you can
have a culture to be a part of that is phenomenal for so many extraordinary
changes and discoveries that have been brought to this world. Being Black has
never been something to look down upon or be feared. So why does it appear that
White police officers fear the Black man? Black people have a rich and proud
history, and when black men step out of their homes, it is certain that they
wish to return home unscathed. No one expects to never to return home again.
When will it end? Black men are afraid to walk the streets at night or even
during the day because of the gun violence due to White police officers in our
neighborhoods. Being a decent Black man was always a remarkable achievement
especially when they’re raising children. I’m sure that a lot of little Black
boys are afraid to grow up to be men because they are afraid of being killed in
the streets. One thing that I can’t get out of my mind is what happened to
Emmett Till in 1955 in Mississippi.
Since when is it a crime to flirt with a White woman? He was only a
14-year-old Black male. It can be safe to assume that he knew nothing about the
severity of discrimination and segregation at the time. You mean to tell me
that grown White men, the woman’s husband and her brother, were threatened by a
little boy? There must have been something wrong in the man’s home for them to
kill an innocent child. When did people become so insensitive and so weak
minded? Nothing has changed. We have an insightful history which is being reduced
by ignorance. The Black Lives Matter Movement has always been part of our
history. We’ve been dealing with this movement all throughout Jim Crow and the
Civil Rights Movement. It’s just now that we gave a name to the struggles that
we face every day. If Black people chant that Black lives matter, it’s always
the White people that come right behind us to say that all lives matter. What’s
the problem? Obviously, we know that all lives matter. We are only trying to
demonstrate that we need to be recognized like everyone else. We are not saying
that we are better. No race is better than the other. When one is
being discriminated against every day, it becomes a problem.
Black
America has been admonished for decades. If it’s not for the way we dress, it’s
for the way we speak. If it’s not for our music, it’s for the food that we eat.
We have a different way of living. Every culture is different. We should all
live together and accept each other’s dissimilarities. The Black Lives Matter Movement is strong,
and it should be recognized like every other movement put in place. There are
peaceful demonstrations and marches. The five police officers that have been shot
in Dallas, Texas (July 2016) is not what the movement is about. It is about
wanting the same rights as White America. Shouldn’t everyone get that chance?
We shouldn’t let those that misuse the Black Lives Matter Movement win. We have
to use our voices but not with violence. No one should be getting hurt in this
movement. Black people have always tried to use nonviolence unless we weren’t
being heard. Let’s take the Black Panthers for example. They believed in
violence when necessary which is something Malcolm X taught. When they could
use nonviolence it was actually for the best. Some people only respond to
violence so what does the other person have as an option but to use violence?
The Black Panthers were called extremists, but I call them brothers that were
tired of injustice.
The Black
men that were killed by the hand of a White police officer were unarmed when
they were killed, this is true. Each one of these men were killed while either
running or just speaking about their situation. Whatever the case, the men were
within their rights. Let’s not forget
the incident with Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Black male who was illegally
selling cigarettes on the streets of Staten Island, New York. A police officer put Mr. Garner in a chokehold
and pulled him to the ground killing him (July 2014). Of course, he was unarmed
as well. How is that any different from the Emmett Till massacre? That boy was
beaten and floating in a river unrecognizable to his mother when he was found. Why did that happen? Is White America jealous
of Black America? That question remains to be seen. If this is the case, why do
Black men have to die so carelessly? The problem is that none of these men that
were killed were armed. I think about the case with 28-year-old Sandra Bland.
She was getting ready to start a new job when she was pulled over and arrested
for not signaling when she made a right turn in her vehicle. When did this
deserve an arrest? The last time I checked, that deserved a ticket and nothing
more. She was told to exit her vehicle because she didn’t want to put out her
cigarette. People smoke in their cars all the time, but they are never asked to
step out of their vehicle. That officer felt threatened when she didn’t even
raise her voice to him. She was a Black woman that wasn’t armed or belligerent
with the officer that pulled her over. In the video that was displayed on
social media, she was speaking intelligently because she knew her rights when
the officer felt threatened. Why was it Sandra Bland’s fault that the officer
was threatened? She was as calm as she could be. She was going to start a new
job and she must’ve been very excited about that. Too bad that she didn’t get the
chance to start on her new journey in life because she was hanged in her Texas
jail cell (July 2015). What a tragedy. Isn’t it always a tragedy when it comes
to Black lives being shattered?
There must
be some changes made. There has to be a time when it will be enough killing. Obviously,
men die every day, but when Black men are killed without being armed or
dangerous, the question bears a closer look. Is it ever going to be a time when
a Black man can walk down the street or run down the street without being shot
to death because a police officer thinks he’s about to commit a crime? Who
remembers the shooting of Amadou Diallo?
He was a West African immigrant that was gunned down in front of his
apartment building in Bronx, New York. He was also unarmed and was sprayed with
41 bullets that led to his demise (February 1999). What’s going on? Some may
say that this is the worst time to be Black.
This is actually the best time. We have a voice, and now we have the
right to use it. These killings are never justified which gives us the right to
stand up and be counted for what we believe in. Who is being held accountable?
I don’t want to say that all police officers are bad, but that’s where I am
right now. Yes, there may be good police officers somewhere, but if all my eyes
see is violence against my brothers, what am I supposed to believe in?
When our
laws were established in our government, it was supposed to be for all of the
United States of America. The Declaration of Independence, for example, was not
meant for every citizen in the country. It was meant for White slave owners and
their counterparts. Some say it was meant for all people, but some of us know
different. It wasn’t meant for immigrants, slaves, former slaves, or their
families. If a law is written for a country, it should be for all people in
that country. If you follow the law, you should be treated as a law-abiding
citizen; however, if your hands are raised to surrender to police officers that
isn’t a right for the officer to shoot anyway. Some of these men had their
hands raised that were killed. I guess surrendering to police authority isn’t important
anymore. You may get shot anyway and die without a cause.
When the
wrongdoers see the light, things will change. I’m sure in the 1960s someone said
the exact thing. Steve Harvey had a special discussion on his talk show about
gun violence caused by police officers. He featured law enforcement, families
that were destroyed by police shootings, and people that were afraid of being
shot by police. That show meant a lot to many people, including myself. It
featured both sides of the story especially dealing with how police can be
fearful at times with civilians or potential suspects. One of the aspects was
dealing with police training. Shooting to kill without the suspect having a
weapon was definitely not ideal. Yet, these things do happen. Let’s talk about
Tamir Rice. He was a 12-year-old Black male that was gunned down by police
officers because they had gotten a 911 call from dispatch saying that he was
carrying a gun while sitting on a swing and pointing the gun at people. Rice
was actually playing with an Airsoft gun, which is a replica of a real gun.
Although, it stands to reason that anyone would’ve been afraid if they were
walking toward them with anything that even looked like a gun. On the other
hand, if the police officers had realized that he was just a child, they could
have gone about it a different way. Shooting an adult Black male is one thing,
but when children are involved, that is a different story.
It’s a proud
moment for me to see demonstrations of the Black Lives Matter Movement being
positive and uplifting. The demonstrations are very peaceful and organized.
People throughout all walks of life, including celebrities and professional athletes,
are joining in their beliefs in empowering the Black community. It’s virtuous
to see people coming together united to show how important this movement has
always been. We must all stand together and fight together.
So why do I
cry? I cry because I’m tired. Black lives should have always mattered.
Sometimes we never get the chance to show that it matters so strongly. I’m
tired of the roguish way of law enforcement. I’m tired of us not being heard.
I’m impatient with the results in these cases. I’m tired of police officers not
being reprimanded. I’m tired of the mentality, “If you’re White, you must be
right” attitude. It has to stop. Someone has to be held accountable for their
actions. This can’t continue in our generation. We can’t continue the same
cycle. Awareness of law enforcement practices are in question. Do Black lives
matter? You’re damn right they do.