You may be familiar with the recently made popular hashtag #BlackLivesMatter as a result of the abundance of black lives lost due to police brutality. Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Rumain Brisbon all failed to see their murderers serve jail time for their crimes.
Instead these victims and their families were delighted with seeing each of their murderers create a not-so-convincing alibi that somehow convinced a jury to let them roam the world as free men. The victims were also delighted with seeing themselves described as “thugs,” accompanied with fake pictures or videos that aren’t them or hearing people say, “They got what they deserved.”
Blacks have a history of being oppressed dating back from slavery; therefore they have probable reasoning to feel unequal in this country. They bear the brunt day-in and day-out because it’s easier to deal with it rather than to cause a public scene, which has the possibility of backfiring on them.
Imagine watching the news and seeing person after person dying due to police brutality within a very short time frame, all of which resemble your complexion— a complexion that has a history of being discriminated against. The recent shootings “give the impression it’s open season for killing black men,” Ann Hart, chairwoman of the African American Police Advisory Board for South Phoenix said in an interview with NBC.
Acknowledging this unjust is present is the first action we need to take. Listen to black voices, respect black voices. Pretending that the unjust isn’t there is only causing more unjust. You can’t say racism doesn’t exist anymore when you’re not the one being constantly discriminated against. You cannot speak for other people’s feelings. Instead let them speak. #BlackVoicesMatter