Yes, Black Lives Matter...So Why Do I Cry?

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.