"Wade in the water, Wade in the water children, Wade in the water, God's gonna trouble the water" were sung by those who worked in the underground railroads trying to help set slaves free. Slavery belittled black people for many years. Even when it ended, black people still had to face many years of segregation, abuse and horrible treatment. They were treated like animals, forced to use poor bathroom conditions, and to make it worse they were force to fight for their "freedom" to be free. With people like Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. taking to the street in peaceful protest to fight for their rights as Americans, it felt like a never-ending battle. Racism ran rampant through the United States with groups like the KKK killing off black people for simply being black in a country that stated to be the "Land of the Free." Who exactly was free though? It was not black people, because they suffered. They suffered from the time that they got to America, their ancestors suffered, their parents suffered, their children suffered and for some they themselves suffered the harsh realities of what was occurring.
Here we are now in 2016. About 200 years has passed since slavery came to an end, and about 50 plus years since the civil rights movement has ended, and nothing has really changed. Black people are still suffering like everything that was fought for was in vain. Racism is still at an all-time high, black men and women are being shot and killed for no reason, and black communities are more afraid than ever before. Though all of these things are occurring, blacks are still trying to have a voice in the midst of their struggles. With stars like Beyoncè getting into "Formation" as she prepares to help march her people into "Freedom," it still seems to be far away. With all of this hurt and pain being caused in the black community it seems to look as though no one cares.
Instead of the white community standing with the black, they turn on them and call them names. They throw racial slurs, and then have the nerve to call the black community racist. They have denied for years their white privilege, and try to make it seem as though the black community did something wrong for being different. Like parents and family, race is something that cannot be chosen, and like race, color and hair type cannot be chosen. Now that the black community has put their foot down and said "enough is enough," the white community seems to be shocked that they have gotten to this point and is deciding to push back. Instead of pushing back, however, why not start to make things right? Why not start with a long deserved apology toward the black community?
I think many people in the white community seem to think that what happened in the past, and what is occurring now is okay, however, it is not. Has it never occurred to any of you that it is time to apologize for what was done? It may not fix things immediately but it is a start to a new beginning. Though apologizing may seem like such a small gesture, it can be the thing that mend the brokenness between both communities. After all the black community deserves it at the very least. Whether or not you feel like you were directly involved apologizing would help. According to Jesse Williams in his acceptance speech “Not because we are magic, doesn't mean we are not real." Meaning not because we do not look like you and we are different from you it does not mean that we are not human with feelings too. And, though I know this article is going to make a lot of you uncomfortable, I want it to.
I want you to understand that slavery was never okay. The racism that the black community has faced and still is facing, was never and will never be okay. The hatred never was and will never be okay. Lastly your white privilege was and never will be okay. I want you to feel uncomfortable about what the black community of America went through, and I want you to know that we will never be silenced, and we will not be ignored. We will rise above everything, and we will one day stand taller than we are now. The only difference between both communities though is that we will never belittle you like you did us.
So to the white community of America know that you are wrong for everything, and even though you refuse to apologize for it, the black community will stay strong. Like Beyoncè said "Sorry, but I am not sorry," and “The best revenge to get paper" which is exactly what the black community with continue to do as we rise above your hate because #BlackLiveDoMatter.