For years people of color have been fighting. Fighting, screaming, crying, longing, begging, demanding, and peacefully asking to be treated fairly. However, with much sorrow and defeat, the call for equal treatment has been met with a unmistakable harsh NO.
If you think I wrong, name all of the twitter hashtags of young black people killed in America. You can't, because there are to many to count. To many to individually grieve for and hurt for because of their untimely deaths. To many to individually solve and eventually figure out why. In cases like these, there are more questions than answers. As a adult you try to figure out the situation for yourself. Try to digest and process your emotions. However, on top of all that, you have eyes looking at you.
A child, young sibling, or cousin. In other words, someone more innocent and at times more emotionally vulnerable than you. After years of heart-breaking verdicts, and just living this unfair and hard like, we adapt. We grow thick skin and become almost numb at times. Rage, frustration, sorrow, but a sickening normality mixed in.
How do you explain this to another generation? Why does this have to be introduced to yet another set a black children? You feel guilt and ashamed that you could not stop the continuous shared affliction that have been affecting us since the end of slavery.
Living in a country of a lawless and ruthless system to gave no justice or humanity to a entire group of human beings. To now, another system that is both totally opposite of the first, but also starkly the same. A system of LAWS, that are both ruthless and lawless. The current laws contradict themselves when they apply to us (more times than none). We where supposed to be created and now seen as equal. So, you would think that the laws now cover us.
However, I have seen laws that have solely negatively affected the black man. Laws of mass incarceration that put our young men in cages. Laws that add extra punishment and penalty, that statistically is given to only black males at disproportionately higher rates and sentences.
A system that uses the term "non-guilty" for the murders of Trayvon or Mr. Gardener. Although evidence shows that they were killed in cold blood. But, fully punishes those who do what they percieve is the only way to survive, to survive "war torn" like conditions. Not, "war-torn, like condition", but actually a actual war. The war on drugs. A fake war that was set up to put black males (fathers, sons, brothers, and the leaders of our community), in a new modern slavery.
The war was started to make sure the once and for all, the black community would be internally corrupted and destroyed.
So, I ask, what is progress?
When the 13th amendment is still intact. When the black man is still a slave in 2016, and laws are still used to solely to target him. I ask, has progress reared its head?
When the black family structure is once again destroyed, possibly at the same rate as that when slavery was around (without a father in the household, mother in the home, and died or sent away sibling). I ask again, has progress truly happened.
Have we settle for a couple of black millionaires, and a true first generation "African-American" president. We have always had black millionaires, and black politicians since the reconstruction of America. So, I ask what is progress?
As we approach yet another year without answers about the death of Kendrick Johnson. Without the true and impactful response that should have came after the death of Aiyana Johnson. Without the convictions of the killers of Trayvon, Monroe Bird, and many others. Have progress came.
When we choose to kill each other, and the music and culture promotes that over black proud. Have things change, or have they gotten worst.
I don't know, but I do know one thing.
If progress has come, it doesn't show up nearly as much as it needs too. Or, even with my third eye, I have been to blind to see it.
If you think I wrong, name all of the twitter hashtags of young black people killed in America. You can't, because there are to many to count. To many to individually grieve for and hurt for because of their untimely deaths. To many to individually solve and eventually figure out why. In cases like these, there are more questions than answers. As a adult you try to figure out the situation for yourself. Try to digest and process your emotions. However, on top of all that, you have eyes looking at you.
A child, young sibling, or cousin. In other words, someone more innocent and at times more emotionally vulnerable than you. After years of heart-breaking verdicts, and just living this unfair and hard like, we adapt. We grow thick skin and become almost numb at times. Rage, frustration, sorrow, but a sickening normality mixed in.
How do you explain this to another generation? Why does this have to be introduced to yet another set a black children? You feel guilt and ashamed that you could not stop the continuous shared affliction that have been affecting us since the end of slavery.
Living in a country of a lawless and ruthless system to gave no justice or humanity to a entire group of human beings. To now, another system that is both totally opposite of the first, but also starkly the same. A system of LAWS, that are both ruthless and lawless. The current laws contradict themselves when they apply to us (more times than none). We where supposed to be created and now seen as equal. So, you would think that the laws now cover us.
However, I have seen laws that have solely negatively affected the black man. Laws of mass incarceration that put our young men in cages. Laws that add extra punishment and penalty, that statistically is given to only black males at disproportionately higher rates and sentences.
A system that uses the term "non-guilty" for the murders of Trayvon or Mr. Gardener. Although evidence shows that they were killed in cold blood. But, fully punishes those who do what they percieve is the only way to survive, to survive "war torn" like conditions. Not, "war-torn, like condition", but actually a actual war. The war on drugs. A fake war that was set up to put black males (fathers, sons, brothers, and the leaders of our community), in a new modern slavery.
The war was started to make sure the once and for all, the black community would be internally corrupted and destroyed.
So, I ask, what is progress?
When the 13th amendment is still intact. When the black man is still a slave in 2016, and laws are still used to solely to target him. I ask, has progress reared its head?
When the black family structure is once again destroyed, possibly at the same rate as that when slavery was around (without a father in the household, mother in the home, and died or sent away sibling). I ask again, has progress truly happened.
Have we settle for a couple of black millionaires, and a true first generation "African-American" president. We have always had black millionaires, and black politicians since the reconstruction of America. So, I ask what is progress?
As we approach yet another year without answers about the death of Kendrick Johnson. Without the true and impactful response that should have came after the death of Aiyana Johnson. Without the convictions of the killers of Trayvon, Monroe Bird, and many others. Have progress came.
When we choose to kill each other, and the music and culture promotes that over black proud. Have things change, or have they gotten worst.
I don't know, but I do know one thing.
If progress has come, it doesn't show up nearly as much as it needs too. Or, even with my third eye, I have been to blind to see it.
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