You can't going on a social media site or watch the news without the subject of race in it. It's touchy for a lot of people, so much they don't discuss it at all. Businesses are afraid of losing customers, people are afraid of losing friends, family members looking at you differently, and everyone judging you based off your opinion. I get it. It's a tough subject but if conversations don't happen openly how can things change or people learn? For me it's something I have to talk about. I'm black. Since I am fair skinned I get a "pass" more times than some of my darker complexion family members and friends. Even so, I'm raising two black boys who will become black men. I have to admit it's scary. Luckily I'm not doing it alone. They have my husband to guide and shape them and show them how a man "should" be. My boys are very young but it will come a day that we will have to have a conversation about race with them. For now here are my opinions, thoughts, and experiences first and second hand with race.
I, just like everyone else was watching everything that was happening in Charlottesville, VA unfold on the news. I don't think there wasn't a person who was watching who didn't know that things were going to get ugly. Fast forward to the aftermath. Again, just like everyone else I was waiting for the president to speak. I can't say I'm shocked that Trump blamed both sides. He and the people that support his original and hopefully final statements can spin this as the media all they want to but other than broadcasting his speeches live the media did not choose his words for him. Let's be clear the "alt-right" group can try to re-brand and package their image all they want to but they are white supremacists. To add insult to injury he went on to say there were some decent people that was apart of that march. My definition of a decent person is not someone who is marching along with someone screaming "white power" and then throwing up a Nazi salute. Why would you even want to be associated with that? The "alt-right" group can claim all they want to that that's not what they stand for but they were smiling and marching along with David Duke, for the sake of "the white man not loosing his power and place" so they have made their motives very clear.
I also find it very hilarious that people (mainly the ones defending Trumps "many sides to blame" statement) are comparing BLM (black lives matters) to the KKK (klu klux klan). Why? Well in my opinion because white people don't want to be the blame for everything so they need to share it with another group to ease their guilt. Enter BLM. Let's examine what each group is fighting for and hoping to achieve. BLM: equality for black people. What's equality mean in the terms of BLM? Not to be prejudged negatively based off skin color. BLM doesn't mean black people want to receive special treatment or to be superior to any other race. BLM means black people just wanted to be treated the same as a white person would be. It's as simple as the name BLM. Black people just want their lives to matter as much as a white person's life matters, not MORE but the SAME. What does the KKK, alt-right group, and white supremacist want? To make sure people with white skin can continue to be the dominant race. This really baffles me. If you believe that every other race (white is not a race, I know) is equal to you, especially black people and they are just complaining for no reason why are you threatened by becoming the minority (if we all are really as equal as you people that turn a blind eye to what's going on, nothing would change because we're equal)? Which brings me to their next "want", to not lose power. This goes back to my other statement if minorities are treated fairly and equally what power would there be to lose? These are statements from them not me and it proves that they know minorities are treated differently and negatively because they're fighting so hard to not become in the position. They also claim to be fighting for the right to keep their heritage. "White" is not a heritage or a race so what European country would they like to try and represent and preserve? They are fighting to keep "their" land. What land exactly is theirs? If they're so fond of their European heritage shouldn't they be fighting to take back "their" land in Europe? I love how white supremacist favorite line is go back to "Africa" as if we all don't originate from Africa. Let's say we go by their new "evidence" that shows they didn't originate there, well they could always go back to Europe. Wait, they don't deserve to go back because they built this country. Who built this country exactly? Black slaves, poor Chinese, poor Italian, and poor Irish people actually built the majority of this country so I'm still confused. I digress, you get the point and if you are still saying BLM and white supremacist groups are the same you are the problem. Let me guess, BLM is violent and they loot and start riots. You're right how dare they do those things in the name of equality, there are far better reasons like your favorite sports team losing a championship for example. Moving on...
For white people who believe that the media is the one dividing America and pushing these stories of cops being "racist" I have a two stories to share. My brother and two of his friends were speeding on the highway one night on their way back to college and got pulled over in a small town in South Carolina. They ran my brother's license and unbeknownst to him his license was suspended. Why didn't he know that his license was suspended? Here's why, while he was in college he had a car that broke down on him. He had the car towed to our mother's home 2 hours away from his school. He cancelled the insurance but never turned in the plate? Why because he was a 19 year old dumb college kid who didn't realize he had to. In the state of SC if you cancel your insurance the insurance company is required to notify the department of motor vehicles. The dept. of motor vehicles will then send a notice in the mail to the place your vehicle is registered to informing you that it is illegal to operate a vehicle in SC without insurance and if you have updated insurance information you need to forward it on to them or if you no longer own the vehicle/or drive it you need to turn in the plate. Since my brother's vehicle was registered to my mom's address he never received it. Yes, my mom received the notice but since she never went through his mail she never opened and only told him he had mail at the house. Fast forward to my brother speeding and being pulled over. The cop runs my brother's license and then asks my brother why was he driving on a suspended license. My brother tells the cop his license is not suspended and if it is he was not aware. What happens next?The officer goes back to his vehicle and calls for backup. His backup along with a canine unit arrive and the pull guns on my brother and his friends, drag them out the car, handcuff them all, and put the dogs on them. The cop then asks them usual questions that you would ask three young black males who are wearing white tees and baggy jeans, are there any weapons or illegal substances in the vehicle to which they reply no to and can they search the car and they reply yes. Of course they didn't find any drugs or weapons because they didn't pull over three "thug, drug dealing, black men". They pulled over three young black college kids with questionable clothing choices who were doing what everyone does and that's be dumb and speed. Want to know what happened next? Well if my brother was a 19 year old white boy who attended USC instead of a black boy who attended Allen (a historically black male college) he would have probably been told to get out the driver's seat and let one of the other drivers drive (they ran them all through the system so they new the other to had no priors and valid licenses), written a ticket for driving on a suspended license and speeding. My brother was a college student, who doesn't have a criminal background or any sort of priors and the son of a police officer. My brother isn't white so he was roughed up, searched and then taken to jail. You can argue that the police was just doing their job and if he was white the same thing would have happened. Which brings me to my next story. Several years ago my cousin was getting married and she urged us all to get rooms in the town near her reception because one of the towns we would have to drive through was racist (the same town where my brother was arrested) and it's not safe for black people to be driving there at night. Well some of my relatives didn't listen and decided to drive home. Around 3 AM we get a phone call that one of our relatives needs someone to pick her up off the side of the road. You guessed it, this relative was white and she got pulled over for suspicion of DUI. The cops told her if she called someone to pick her and her two kids that she had in the car with her they'll just let her go with a warning. When a black relative showed up to pick her up they gave him a hard time but eventually let them go. If race doesn't play an issue in this "small town" why was she not arrested and taken to jail? Not only did she put other motorist at risk she also put her children's lives on the line. I can assure you had they given her a breathalyzer test she would have failed. This incident doesn't happen anywhere else though right? This was in SC and they're known for being "like that" in the south. I can guarantee you this happens all over and not just in the south. My father who is also an officer of the law has experienced it while off duty upstate and in the city of NY. My husband experienced it as a young child growing up in Oklahoma. It is happening all over you just don't want to admit because you don't want to feel bad.
The last issue on this "touchy" subject, black people are always complaining about other people killing them but they kill themselves more than any other group. Yes, this is true black people do kill each other at a higher rate but so does every other race. Do you think black people over look other black people killing them? NO! Black people hate when black people kill each other too. Black people doesn't say throw him in jail, oh wait, is he black? Oh, he's black let him out! You want to know the difference? When "Hakeem" kills "Jamal" "Hakeem" goes to jail. When "Michael" kills "Jamal" it was justified because he feared for his life so the jury and white public decides he was justified. Even though there is video evidence proving otherwise. You know it's wrong but because when "Jamal" was 12 years old he stole an eraser from the store so he deserved to be beat and then shot 25 times. What a criminal! Statistics show he probably would have committed a crime again anyway so good riddance. This is how you sound to black people b.t.w. when you try to justify black people being killed by the police or white people who "feared for their lives". This goes back to equality. If you are doing criminal activity you should receive consequences and possibly prosecuted depending on the severity of the crime. Taking someone's life because you believe they stole something, was high in a car, or selling illegal items, or don't look like the belong in your neighborhood is disgusting and extreme. You NEED to understand that black people are not defending these illegal actions. You NEED to understand that just because someone's skin is dark does not make them such an aggressive threat that they need to pay with their life. Again as an officer of the law it shouldn't be shoot first ask questions later. You shouldn't be an officer of the law if you cannot keep your cool and you're afraid of life.
I could go on and on but I think I made my point. Open your eyes and mouths and stop pretending like their isn't injustice going on all because it isn't happening to you, you're afraid of losing your power, and you don't want to feel guilty for the sins of your family members and friends. Please open your mouth and speak up. I don't want Gabriel and Juliano (my sons) to be another hashtag because they are walking back from the store to our middle class "white" neighborhood and they clearly don't belong because they have on Hollister hoodies because it's raining outside.
