
This is going to be short and bitter — yes, bitter.
As I sit here in the salon preparing to get my hair done, I’m watching the news and what do I see? Another one of our young Black men has been murdered by law enforcement…AGAIN!
Why is it that our young Black boys and our men can go nowhere without being perceived as a threat??? We have one of these young Black boys and the way we have to prepare him to do just to leave the house is absolutely ridiculous.
– Don’t wear that hoodie
– Walk with purpose and like you have a destination so the cops don’t stop you
– No, you can’t go to that neighborhood bash because we don’t live in that neighborhood…we don’t care that your friend lives there
– Sit in the front of the class, pay attention, and always ask question
– You can’t do what they do
Insane right? Well, this is our “reality”.
So as I sit here watching the protests and outrage unfold, I can’t help but think about the fact that it doesn’t matter what we do to prep our kids. Society will still perceive them however they want and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Did you know that in my state, the Sunshine State of Florida, there are more Black folks on death row than any other race? I mean listen — about 39% of death row is Black. Meanwhile, the 2015 census shows a Black population of just under 20%. Not very sunny huh? I don’t think so either.
The fact of the matter is this — Our boys are treated as MEN more often than any other race. So basically they either get capital punishment sentences or they get gunned down in the streets at the hands of more than a few bad eggs that are supposed to protect us…whichever comes first. We tend to focus on our black boys and men when having these discussions. However, let’s not forget that us women are not exempt from this same fate. Remember Sandra Bland? My point exactly.
As much as this hurts to me to say — None of us are safe. You may wonder how it’s still a bitter pill to swallow after all of these senseless killings at the hands of rogue law enforcement. Well, just because it’s still happening doesn’t make desensitize me to one key thing — Our population is still a target.
R.I.P. to Antwon Rose and the countless list of Black males that have been senselessly and brutally murdered.
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