Something that I've heard numerous times over the past couple of weeks is ,"If Black people don't like America so much then why don't you all just leave?" Well, there are a good couple of reasons as to why we can't leave.

First of all, I don't know why people who say this, typically white people, think they have the jurisdiction to make this statement. I don't know why they believe that they rightfully own this land, or why they believe that when Colombus came over here that the deed of this land was just magically given to European folks because this land rightfully belongs to the Native Americans. Not once in their history with Europeans did they say, "Yes! Come right on over and slaughter our men, women, and children and take away everything we own!" No matter how self - righteous these people might have thought they were in "civilizing" these Native peoples, they were doing so for their own self - interests at the cost of many cultures. So for y'all to say "Why don't y'all just leave?", you are assuming ownership of a land that isn't and has never been yours. So why don't y'all just leave?

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I believe that it is quite hypocritical of those who tell us to leave because of the reason why they tell us to leave. It is not hidden how bad this country is in terms of social justice. Every week, more and more frequently we are seeing black males and females being killed by the police for no reason. The amount of justifications and excuses that people are giving are starting to run out, and as a result, those who see the injustice in what is happening are fed up. It is only for so long that you can kill before there is retaliation for that killing. However, this retaliation has taken a peaceful path. All across the country we are seeing celebrities, children, and common folk alike kneeling during the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance, which are supposed to symbolize, "liberty and justice for all." But with everything that has been happening in this country now and since its inception, it is evident that this is not the case. So to bring attention to that and to protest what is going on , people are denying standing for these empty statements. This action of peaceful protestation, of stating critique and opinion against an institution is what this country is supposed to stand on. But apparently, there are some limitations and fine print as to what that means. Apparently, it does not apply to those who wish to critique against the institution of white supremacy and racism which allows people of color to get slain in the streets. Apparently, the first amendment does not apply to those who refuse to stand up for verses of hypocrisy. Also, just a little sidetone, if you are so dedicated to the national anthem and what it stands for , keep in mind that it was written by a slave owner who wasn't so fond of his property (look up the third verse of the anthem). So to those of you that want us to leave because we are using our supposed FIRST amendment right, please get off your high of hypocrisy.

In case it hasn't been made clear, the reason that we, Black people, do not like it here is because of the fact that this country has its foundations built upon the physical, emotional and psychological oppression that black people have been subjected to. Most people only view slavery as physical oppression, whose ripples are still felt today. These ripples are felt by Black people across the country carrying last names given to them by their ancestors' slave masters, wiping away any possibility of lineage, any possibility of preserving a continuous history. It is a constant reminder that we are a misplaced people. It is a transcendence from mere physical to psychological and emotional oppression. We are a people without a home; by telling us to leave this country implies that we have somewhere to go. As much as we wish this to be true, we do not have anywhere to go, this is yet another effect of slavery. We have no country, no homeland, no motherland to go back to. Although our blood runs with Africa, that is not our homeland. We are a people caught in between Africa and America, a land that we cannot identify with and a place that doesn't want us.

By telling Black people to leave, you are recognizing that this country is built upon hypocrisy, oppression, and institutionalized racism, you are saying that rather than to eliminate this system of hate and discriminiation, you would rather keep it. As a Black man myself, it is quite disheartening to hear people say this time and time again. But realize this, we are not going anywhere, not only for the reason hat we have nowhere to go but because we cannot bear to witness oppression and evil win out over us. We will persist, we shall overcome, and we will win.