In August, Colin Kaepernick, the current quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, made headlines by choosing to sit during the national anthem. This has created the start of a new approach to a more recent development of black oppression and continued killings. Since then, there has been a multitude of similar results where NFL players sat or raised their hands in silent protest while the national anthem was playing. It has created a massive web of controversy within the following weeks, often having sides torn between the true purpose and motive behind the silent protest and the acts against the national anthem. While some would argue that it is clearly and sign of disrespect to the country, some would also make the case that the sitting provides a symbol of pride and support for the culture of black people. For some, the sitting gives a strong message to the country in which a specific race is being mistreated and misrepresented within the country. In Buffalo NY, there is no different result as council member Ulysees O. Wingo Sr. participated in this silent protest as well this week.
Ulysees O. Wingo, who represents the Masten District in Buffalo, neglected the pledge of allegiance in order to take the time to pray. In his defense, he stated that his “allegiance is to God” and brought to attention the recent death of Terence Crutcher; an African American man who was shot to death in Oklahoma on Friday. Upon further analysis on the subject, Ulysees stated that the incidents that happened this week could have easily happened to him and that he feels offended that the matter with African American males being shot in the streets has not been resolved as of late. The individual that died that Friday had no weapon on him, yet he was still shot to death by law enforcement. While the event has left some in distraught, the councilman pointed out a good point in which the efforts made by the government and the president does not correlate to progress being made on the lives of African Americans who have been struggling to survive, let alone be a black man in America.
The significance of this story however does not at the expense of the African American suffering in the streets. It came with the alternative pledge that he made for himself, choosing to say a prayer while the pledge was being recited. Within the pledge, he recited: “I pledge allegiance, to My God of the United States of America, and to His providence, on which we stand, one God, one Faith, and one Baptism, in his name, and salvation to all. Amen”. That prayer in which held significance in the words, symbolizes not only the struggle that the black culture had to go through, but also symbolizes the changes that need to happen in order for the United States to become united and stand as one unity. He stated that discrimination is still being felt within the black culture and that we must acknowledge the value of African American lives.
Although he has a point, the problem doesn’t lie within the mistreatment of the black community; but our response to the mistreatment…
Within government and even high-end economic and political corporations, there are levels of systematic restrictions that indirectly impede the success of African Americans and other races facing the same struggle. How we respond to the restrictions decides whether we sink or swim in America. Looking back at the Black Panther movement and valiant efforts made on behalf of Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr., we see change. But change came in a form that is often overlooked in today’s society. These people mentioned died for our freedom, the freedom of their culture. Today’s society and mindset fosters a different approach to the matter. We look to violence, revenge and impulsive thinking, often neglecting the progress that we had to fight to earn in the previous years. While protesting is essential for change to come, it is the significance and the true purpose of the protests that signifies the core of our culture and it has been the bread and butter of our survival. It is the reason why we continue to grow to this day. We stand as one, or we fall as individuals; a concept that we must live by in order to have a voice in a country was diversity trumps white nationalism.
The way we do things must change if we want to promote change. Remember when I said we stand as one or we fall as individuals? Well unfortunately, the councilman’s actions towards the pledge of Allegiance went unnoticed by many councilmembers at the meeting. That’s exactly what I mean when I say “fall as individuals”. If my article did not bring it to question, many people would have not even realized that this was going on. If it did bring some sort of controversy, then the councilman will be labeled and portrayed in a different way, the same way Colin Kaepernick was portrayed when he kneeled during the pledge of Allegiance before the game. Understand that in order to promote change, we must come together as one and stand up for our brothers and sisters. This is not limited to just the African American race because all races face the same thing, and for that reason they should not be singled out. At the end of the day, and concept unified under a strong belief system stands tall and powers over the perception of an individual.
And as an African American race, we have a long way to go to reach that status…
