Recently I watched a movie on Nexflix that is listed on the Black Lives Matter Collection titled, "American Son." It is an important movie for every person in the world to watch. It holds so much truth in today's turmoil and anxiety and shows that most mothers of color fear for their sons and daughters.
The main protagonist in this movie is played by Kerry Washington and I can honestly say I have never been a fan of her acting. However, her portrayal of a mother of a missing teenage boy is not only phenomenal but gives me a new respect for her ability.
Let me also say, I am not a woman of color and on a second note, I don't have a son. I have daughters and though I did have my fears and concerns for their safety, they are in no way close to the threats a young black male faces once he walks out his front door. I cannot fathom the fear a mother experiences for her son's possible situation. The saddest part for my reality is that it wasn't just a movie, this is truly happening in communities all over America.
No matter what the intent was for this movie, I felt the pain she endured. It did not stop once the movie was over. I knew deep in my soul that the plight of the women who fear for the lives of their children in our society is unacceptable.
My instinct is to do exactly what the protesters in our streets are doing, using their voice to insight change no matter what the cost. People from different societies are doing what this country's forefathers built their principles on. An ability to protest injustice and hold the powers that we elected to make the changes that we the people want. It takes me back to some of the same marches and protests in the 1960s.
Even though I was a young girl in 1964, I am all too familiar with the laws of segregation in the deep south. With a notebook in my hand and watching "The Summer of 64" which details the last of the United States preventing all citizens from the right to vote.
Yet, when the airing of "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Alabama was broadcasted live, the people of the United States cried and packed their bags to travel to their aid. Now in the time of cellphones and social media, the incidents of young black men being brutally murdered by police officers daily is a bridge too far for most of us.
Their protests are as valid today as they were forty years ago. There is systemic violence in this country that must be stopped. The police do not have the final say in a young man's life. The days of allowing the police state mentality to be accepted have got to end. We all live in a free society, and everyone is entitled to the same respect and laws that govern us. The votes will be cast come November and there will be a change for there is nothing more important than freedom.
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