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On Staying Alive Despite Being Black
On Staying Alive Despite Being Black
LeRon Barton on “The Talk”, and the sobering idea that murdering a black man is almost legal.
On April 7, 2015 the world witnessed the murder of Walter Scott by police officer Michael T. Slager. In the video, Slager is shown shooting Scott eight times in the back. He was unarmed, several feet away, and not presenting any threat of any kind. When it was over, I turned my head and thought to myself, “Another black man dead, another trending topic, just another day living in America. We are wild game out here and the main goal is to stay alive.”
Being a black man in America is to know a couple of things: America does not and has not ever cared about you in no shape or form unless you are dribbling a ball or making a music video. You are feared and you are despised. Every day I am reminded of this. From the glances of disgust, the clutching of purses, and being followed throughout department stores, I’m never allowed to forget what I am.
Malcolm X once said, “I live like a man who is dead already. I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything.” That’s how I think right now in today’s time. I have lived a good life. I joke with my girlfriend that my chances of survival have increased by 10% because I don’t drive, so I don’t have to worry about a cop pulling me over. What I do worry about however are the younger black boys. The ones that have yet to fulfill their promise. The ones that don’t know quite who they are or what they want to do. The fact these boys are seen as a threat worries me, because we know what happens then. They could be killed before they have even begin to live.
If you’re not black, I cannot describe to you what it is like to walk around like you have a bulls-eye on your back. The closet thing I can tell you is that you are living your life knowing that at any moment your number can be called. That’s it, time’s up. A cop sees you as an enemy, you’re dead, and he won’t even be charged unless someone is taping it. Being black means that killing you isn’t really a crime.
See more at: http://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/brand-on-staying-alive-despite-being-black/#sthash.dEiEvrtM.dpuf
LeRon Barton on “The Talk”, and the sobering idea that murdering a black man is almost legal.
On April 7, 2015 the world witnessed the murder of Walter Scott by police officer Michael T. Slager. In the video, Slager is shown shooting Scott eight times in the back. He was unarmed, several feet away, and not presenting any threat of any kind. When it was over, I turned my head and thought to myself, “Another black man dead, another trending topic, just another day living in America. We are wild game out here and the main goal is to stay alive.”
Being a black man in America is to know a couple of things: America does not and has not ever cared about you in no shape or form unless you are dribbling a ball or making a music video. You are feared and you are despised. Every day I am reminded of this. From the glances of disgust, the clutching of purses, and being followed throughout department stores, I’m never allowed to forget what I am.
Malcolm X once said, “I live like a man who is dead already. I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything.” That’s how I think right now in today’s time. I have lived a good life. I joke with my girlfriend that my chances of survival have increased by 10% because I don’t drive, so I don’t have to worry about a cop pulling me over. What I do worry about however are the younger black boys. The ones that have yet to fulfill their promise. The ones that don’t know quite who they are or what they want to do. The fact these boys are seen as a threat worries me, because we know what happens then. They could be killed before they have even begin to live.
If you’re not black, I cannot describe to you what it is like to walk around like you have a bulls-eye on your back. The closet thing I can tell you is that you are living your life knowing that at any moment your number can be called. That’s it, time’s up. A cop sees you as an enemy, you’re dead, and he won’t even be charged unless someone is taping it. Being black means that killing you isn’t really a crime.
See more at: http://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/brand-on-staying-alive-despite-being-black/#sthash.dEiEvrtM.dpuf
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
You get stared at and/or followed whether it's in stores or on the streets, and like this article says--people fear you.
