Dear America,

Let me start by saying that I honestly fear for my future son, because it breaks my heart that he will have to grow up black in America. All of the lessons in the world that I could teach him wouldn't prepare him enough for it. Since grade school, I have been taught that racism doesn’t exist anymore and that the country has progressively changed since the end of slavery and Jim Crow. I guess that message didn't apply to Alton Sterling, a 37 year old, African American father of 5, and Baton Rouge resident, who lost his life by the hands of 2 Caucasian police officers who tackled, subdued, shot, paused and shot him again, for a total of 6 bullets, while selling CDs that he had permission to sell. Maybe that message was clear to 32 year old Philando Castile, who was pulled over in a normal traffic stop, but was shot 4 times reaching for his wallet, but not before telling the officer what he was doing, not to mention in front of his girlfriend and 4 year old daughter. So no America, I don’t think that’s a very befitting message being taught.

To anyone who disagrees with the movement, I just want you to know that the “Black Lives Matter” movement does not discredit your life at all. God created one human race. He did not see color and I believe that he created us differently because we were created in His image, and He is a little bit of everything, so why wouldn’t the world that was created be just as colorful as the creator?

America, God did not separate us into individual races, we did. So it is crucial that you understand that this country, this American country, was built with African bones at the root. We say that Black Lives matter because in this country, we never have. Blacks didn’t matter from the time the very first African was stolen off the coast of Africa, and shipped to this country against their will, sold as merchandise, chained, beaten and forced to work. And today innocent black people like Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant and Freddie Gray are being eradicated like yesterday’s news by people who were put in place to protect, defend, and serve.

I can be the first to say that maybe to some it does sound selfish saying that black lives matter because the phrase doesn’t recognize that everyone else matters, but again America, understand that the purpose of the phrase it is not meant to divide, but only to shed light on the issue. The phrase simply acknowledges the unspoken norm that has been the lives of blacks for centuries.

America, this issue goes far beyond police brutality against black lives.

America, can I ask a few questions? Have you ever had the profound pleasure of being harassed by store owners, denied service, or thought less of as a human? Young women, you’ll probably never have the delight of being asked if your nephew is your son or the joy of being asked are you going to college rather than being asked what college are you going to? Do you ever feel the sweet victory of being excluded from jobs and opportunities because your name looks ethic and has more than 3 consonants or judged based on the shade of your melanin? Have you ever had the sudden claim to fame because your father, son, dad, brother, or sister’s name has become a hashtag or trending topic? Have you or any of your ancestors ever been taught to self consciously hate yourselves because your pigment isn’t light enough for the masses? Has a uniformed officer ever told your older brother “if I wasn’t in this uniform I would drop you”?

If you answered no to all or majority of these questions, then understand that this is why blacks march and say that we matter. It is so disheartening that we even have to declare and exclaim that phrase in 2016. It should be a profound understanding that each and every living being matters enough to be respected and treated equally. And for centuries blacks have been forced to deal with the fact that white privilege is real.

And to angry Americans who just want answers, solutions, and justice, know that violence is not the solution. Responding to fire with fire only makes the fire blaze longer and more uncontrollably. Remember that all officers are not corrupt, just like all blacks aren’t thugs. Stop the judgment. The 5 officers that were killed in Dallas by a radical protester, all had families, fought for us, survived Iraq tours, and were peacefully protecting black lives matter protesters. They were not the problem and did not deserve to die. For the Americans who say that those officers deserved to die, I am telling you that no one deserves to die like that, and by sending that hateful message, you are in fact promoting the opposite of the movement you are protesting. Peace is key. Knowledge and understanding of everyone's views are key. Acceptance and respect are key. Most importantly, love is key.

So I leave you with this America, wake up. God is not and will never be the author of confusion.

Signed:

Lanecha T.

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness:

only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.