On July 4, we celebrated the independence of our great nation. Sadly, since that day, we have seen several acts of violence that make many wonder if an old, "American" issue is rearing its ugly head. What I mean is the ugly past has, in the opinions of many, tarnished the image of this country. Race seems to have always been an issue in this country, and I don't mean just African Americans and Caucasian people. Since July 5, we have seen the questionable deaths of multiple black males by the police and the deaths of five officers by a shooter at a protest in Dallas. It's sad that through all this, I personally wasn't so shocked to hear of the deaths of the black males. This isn't a shot at police, but that has become common news recently. As a black male myself, I am warned to be careful and mindful at all times. How are people from other races growing up constantly being warned of so much? Am I a target no matter who is behind the gun?
As I have stated, I am a black male, and I meet many stereotypes that are associated with being black, yet they do not define me. I was raised in a single-parent home, my parents never married, my mother has never made close to $50,000 annually, I changed schools often and I've grown up in tough areas. None of this defines who I am, but if you didn't know me personally and that was all you knew about me, what would your image of me be? Would you see me as thug or hoodlum who runs around wreaks havoc on those in his community? That seems to be an easy way to classify some people in our society as it has become easy to judge a book by its cover or by their past.
When I was 14 years old, my grandfather sat me down with my younger brothers and he talked to us as "young, black men preparing to grow up and step into this world." My grandfather told me something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. "No matter what you do in life, you have two strikes against you already; 1.You are black and 2. you are a male." This statement, at the time, didn't really sink in. And honestly, I was confused by it. How many kids of another race are told that? As a kid, I had read about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement fight for equality for all, as well as hearing in school how this is the land of equal opportunity. It wasn't until I was close to graduating high school that I realized everything isn't how it seems, and the scale didn't always level itself out.
Throughout my life, I have had instances where I have seen prejudice acts. When I was 7 years old, I moved a cart to clear a path for an elderly, white woman and I waved afterward. Such a good deed you would think would be met with a smile and appreciation, yet I received the opposite. I was met with a look of disdain and even flipped off, which is something that I will never forget. I didn't understand why, and at that time I didn't understand race nor what it seemed to infer. It wasn't until I was older I began to understand what truly happened. I realized things aren't always equal and an opportunity isn't always present for everyone. Even at Norwich, I have had to have racial discussions or be careful how I present myself to combat stereotypes and images. I don't see racism as an issue here, but simply racial ignorance as some people just aren't sure how to react because they haven't been around may people who are different. I've even had countless discussions on the dreaded Affirmative Action, which is supposed to give equal opportunity but if you ask some, it's doing the opposite. The fact that we even need Affirmative Action shows that their is a clear problem in this country. You shouldn't need it if everything was so equal!
To me, the most shocking of the murders recently was that of Philando Castile, who had no record and had a permit to carry. He was shot on live feed with his child in the car during a traffic stop. We all seem to love our Second Amendment, but this man was killed for legally exercising his. Is there a disclaimer on the Second amendment? The video itself shows the harsh reality of the world we live in. Even the Governor of Minnesota said he would still be alive if he was a white man. This is what I have come to be known as "white privilege," which in my opinion, is where people are seen in a different spectrum based on their race. Many don't realize it, but it does exist and some seem to get more rope than others in this country. What some are belittled for doing, others are praised for. Imagine that.
When an issue occurs where a black person is killed by police, a line is quickly drawn. It becomes: You are either pro-black or pro-blue, with no fence to straddle, which isn't how it should be. I am black and I deeply respect those that uphold the law that govern me. I have seen instances where the police were wrong, such as when my brother was followed and brutally attacked walking home from football practice. I sometimes fear walking home at night after work because in today's world, you never know. I'm not saying every black person was innocent, but decision-making has to change. I have seen brutal and harsh comments on social media that are quick to judge someone by how they dress and they quickly look to label people. More especially: the media, who seem to quickly find a mugshot or negative image of a black person. My question now is what if it is an educated, young black, such as myself, what image would they use? How would they describe me to try to justify what happened?
