I can’t breathe!
In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.” — Angela Davis
America has a serious case of racial amnesia. Remember Philando Castile, Treyvon Martin, Keith McLeod, India Kager, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, George Floyd, Breona Taylor, Ahmad Arbery, Tamir Rice, Emmet Till…etc. These names are among hundreds, if not millions of black boys, girls, men, and women that have been killed openly in this country we call free.
I’m not writing this to inform my black brothers and sisters because our souls grieve every day when we open up any news feed and see one of ours slain, while at the same time knowing that justice is far from being served. I know how all of us feel, how we cry and are enraged with the cycle of racial trauma over, and over, and over. I know that some even wonder if God still hears us.
“I can’t breathe,” Eric Garner & George Floyd
I’m writing this to respond to my white friends, whether we’ve met or haven’t met, whether we’ve talked about racial injustice and inequality or haven’t.
When I saw Ahmaud Arbery’s video, I like other black men and women cried, were angry, called GA gubernatorial for the petition to fire the district attorney, and for the arrest of 3 white men. After a couple of weeks, I woke up to more news feed of police shootings of Breona Taylor 8 times to death, then a couple of weeks later I open my feed again to see the death of George Floyd Knee chocked to death by the police. I honestly did not finish watching the video of Floyd because I can’t take it anymore.
I have come to terms with the fact as a black man, my mire existence in America, later on in this world will always be a means of survival. I have come to terms with the fact that I will always be seen as a threat to the society, not because I am a threat, but because the fabric of America through race has made me a crime, and where a crime lurks, it should be stopped by any means necessary. I have come terms with the fact I’m not seen as a human, even though I am made in God’s image.
So to my white friends who continue to justify it, or turn a blind eye, I will be that constant thorn nagging your flesh, streets like Minneapolis will keep burning, and looting will keep happening until you grant us the right to be human and a black man in this America.
I like many other black men and women know that we are guilty until proven innocent. We know that the law is designed to be against us. We know that if there were never videos of black bodies being slain on the streets, no one would pay attention. Sadly, the only way to acknowledge racism is only if caught on camera back to back to back.
So please save the trouble of saying you have a black friend, of that your forefather never owned slaves, or that you grew up poor. If you can NEVER understand that all we want first is to be recognized as a human, not as a crime. If you cannot understand that we want to be able to go to parks, churches, neighborhoods, malls, protest, have education, have clean water, have a good means of healthcare, have a system that is for us. If you cannot understand that the civil rights that many black leaders died for have only been on papers, rather than written on the hearts of white people, then you are apart of the problem. Racism or hate cannot be overwritten by law, but rather by those who choose to be racist.
Ben sellers said its best, “it’s very hard to sit and not cry,” but we will keep crying for our brothers and sisters that are slain, while also speaking out no matter the cost.
