Don’t tell me white privilege isn’t a thing, don’t you even say we live in a post racial society, don’t tell me black people deserve to be killed for existing while being black. I am so tired of seeing people trying and equally failing at trying to justify why it is okay that police officers are gunning down blacks who are trying to comply. If you need a quick newsflash here are somethings that being white accommodates.
White privilege is parents not having to worry if their kid is going to be targeted by the police on their way home from their friends house. White privilege is not being afraid to leave your house because you won’t be assumed a criminal for your skin color, or the fact that you decided to wear a hoodie because it was too damn chilly outside. It’s stopping at Burger King after having shot up a church and killing nine people. It’s getting away with rape, with three months conviction after having been caught in the act, while a black man who committed the same despicable crime is serving years. It’s not having to wonder if I didn’t get the job because I wasn’t qualified, but because I’m not white. White privilege is walking into a classroom and not having to worry about where I sit, what I say, not having to scout the room to see if there’s another person that looks like me. White privilege is real, and I have been on the for front of seeing how it works.
And if you really don’t know what prompted me to write this, then let me enlighten you. In less than 48 hours not two but FOUR men were shot and killed because they were black. And let me tell you I am flipping angry. I am so ragingly upset, I can’t even begin to write it down. Philando Castile was shot by an officer after raising his hands and having told the police that he had a license to carry and was carrying; he was complying as you can see in the video. Alton Sterling was shot because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time trying to make money so that he can survive in this cold world. Both gunned down. Meanwhile we got Dylan Roof over here stopping at Burger King on his way to the precinct after having gunned down nine church members. Oh try googling his name, he’s “suspected” of having committed the crime when they caught him in the act. Meanwhile, we got kids from my neighborhood in jail for selling a dime bag of marijuana, to be able to help their parents pay for food, and other necessities. While people who are shooting up schools (see Adam Lanza) and churches (see Dylan Roof), raping women (see Brock Turner), killing kids, (see George Zimmerman), I can actually go on, but I’ll stop there as you can see where I’m going with this. And still somehow after all the criminals commit these crimes they somehow manage to be disarmed and taken into custody, so why can’t the same be done for blacks who are being pursued for a “crime”? Do blacks have a super power that I am not aware of? Laser eyes? Superman strength? No I didn’t think so, so then why are they such a threat that they have to be shot like an animal without warning. I need answers now.
Then let’s have a quick moment to discuss pro-blackness. Everyone loves the culture, the music, the food, the hairstyles, everyone wants to be down but where is everyone at when these things happen? Where are the allies for the social justice fight? Where?! You got black friends, a black partner, black family, black co-workers, and yet you can’t show them support? But when you’re with your white friends, you wanna be hood, you wanna be down but you don’t know what it is to be down, and what comes with being down. You don’t have to be black to speak on the injustices, having allies is crucial for the movement to be successful.
Something that happened the other day when I was having a conversation with one of my co-workers, they mentioned that this is the new way the KKK works, and naturally I had to ask her to explain. “They can’t lynch us so they put on badges to kill us and get away like they did back then.” And I’ll be honest my mind was floored because I never thought about something like that. But it makes sense; there are statistics that prove that during video game stimulations police officers proved to shoot a black civilians faster than they do at white civilians. What does that say about the people who are sworn in to protect and serve their country, ALL of their country? Fact after fact, we see the injustices that are happening to the black community, yet no one is speaking up. Where are these celebrities watching their brothers and sister be killed? Where is the GOP? Where is Obama? I hear you, but I DON’T SEE YOU! And I’m sick of it, and I refuse to stay silent any further. If this makes you uncomfortable, great! Then you can get over that lack of comfort and help fight this continuous injustice, because this shit is ridiculous.
If you need anymore proof that white privilege is real check out the Twitter hashtag, #Crimingwhilewhite, or #Alivewhileblack.
It's time, because united we stand, divided we fall.