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Politics and Activism

Walking While Black

Does race determine your longevity ?

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Walking While Black
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“Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no significance than the colours of his eyes, Mi seh war (I say war)” sang Bob Marley in his hit “War” which was reiterated from Egyptian emperor Hailie Selassie I at a United Nation conference in 1963, one century after slavery was abolished in the United States. Fast Forward to 2016, blacks are now allowed to marry outside of their race, use the same bathrooms as whites, vote and so on, yet still the bitter taste of slavery has never left their tongue.

Not only that dark-skinned children are being teased by their complexion or how blacks are stared down when they walk in a store in a predominately white neighborhood, but they are shot and killed in broad daylight by our “Protectors." These same protectors who are supposedly there to serve and protect would only feel threatened by an unarmed black man. He had no weapons and being pinned down or in a case where the man was in his car with his family strapped down by the seatbelts and no firearm. Both were shot dead, both leaving their children with nothing but fear and hatred of judiciary system. These are two of the most recent incidents, but two of the many instances where people have been murdered, probably by our treasure, our highly melanin skin.

These same “Protectors” are being protected by the law justifying killing another human being who shows no harm but the treat of their ancestors highlighted in their complexion. These same “protectors” are on PAID administration leave and being patted on their back for a job well done; none of the superiors are scolding them and telling them to respect each and every life that God had provided on this land. With such hypocrisy happening, how are people (especially blacks) supposed to trust the “law enforcers” ?

With such pride of the colour of my skin does not mean that I’m anti-white, as no one is born racist; they only learn and develop that trait. “Until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, Without regard to race -Dis a war (this is war)”, sang Bob Marley in his hit “War” in 1976, an excerpt from Emperor Selassie speech from the 1963. No they are not prophets, but it shows that we haven’t come far away as human beings who are always classifying people into different classes. Until all races from every nation and religion can stand together as one, there will always be bloodshed and lust for revenge. The true terrorists are ourselves, as if we are able to passionately hate the different races, culture and religion, we are also capable of commit acts of that strong emotion. Racism and classism cannot be stopped by crimes of rebelling, but by love. That is the only road to recovery, especially the mental and modern day slavery that is prominent in the modern day United States, the land of the “Free." No one is inferior and no one is superior; we all belong to the same race of species and all bleed when we cut. Why can’t we progress from the years of mental slavery and live as one?

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