As we’re gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday, I have begun to contemplate the fact that family gatherings won’t be the same without my brother. As I’ve mentioned before, my brother is incarcerated; falsely convicted of a crime he did not commit. I think about his situation more right now than any other time.
This past Friday night, A&E broadcasted "Shining A Light," a concert and documentary special focusing on the progress on Race in America. This concert featured performances and commentary from a number of artist such as Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx, Jill Scott, Big Sean, John Legend, Pharrell, and many more. Though a very empowering broadcasting, a specific moment pulled harshly at my heartstrings. Alicia Keys traveled to Baltimore, MD to talk with the community affected by Freddie Gray’s murder. There, Alicia Keys interviewed a group of the concerned mother who were parents of young men whose lives have been halted outside of prison. However, the mother I related to the most was the mother of a young man who was arrested and convicted for a crime he did not commit. Ironically, I understand what she is experiencing. I tried to hold back tears as she mentioned a conversation that she had with her son, where her son told her “Mom, I see people every day die in here, and I am going to die in here, too”. We can’t possibly understand the huge amount of emotions that this young man feels. I can’t even process how he lives day-by-day aware that he will never know freedom again because he will forever be locked up behind bars.
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It is ironic how this justice system is set up to protect this society, however, in the African American community, young men and women have fallen victim to the hands of the justice system. Whether it be by the hands of law enforcement officers, court jurors, and/or court judges, the system is broken. African-Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites. In the past year, there have been more than six incidences where a police officer has killed an innocent black individual and has suffered no repercussions. When does this stop? When do these conversations become effective?
"Shining A Light," brought a lot of things into focus. Listening to young black men say that, “[We] shouldn’t have to fear people that swear to keep us safe,” I begin to reflect on the racial issues within our society. I laughed at the white man who told John Legend, “I try to be color-blind every day.” However, I can’t ignore the light laugh he gave when the same young black man previously mentioned said that white people don’t have to fear like black people do and when they want freedom, they get it.
See, I try to understand that not everyone understands the racial struggles that the black community undergoes, however, it is hard to ignore people who join our meetings about racial equality and use micro-expressions when we voice an obvious fact about this society. Minority individuals, including all non-white individuals, are in fact more at risk of police profiling, judicial discrimination, and racial attacks than any white individual.
Yes, we are all aware that every life matters. However, we stand in community with those we relate to the most. This thanksgiving I have to sit beside my nieces and nephew and answer questions like, “Where is my dad?” and “Why isn’t he here?” It’s painful and issues such as faulty incarceration, police brutality, and racist attacks deserve to be addressed.
How many mother sit-downs do we need to witness to hear about the suffering of a young black man? How many black lives do we lose before this problem is fixed?
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