Poussey Washington, the fan favorite, the person with the most beautiful smile and voice to follow and the person who was all about peace and love died on the second to last episode of the Netflix original series, “Orange is the New Black.” We all shed our tears and tweeted and ranted about why out of everyone did Poussey have to die? I was one of these people who couldn’t fathom just exactly why they would kill Poussey, the girl who was the military brat who was in jail because of distribution of marijuana. I had to re-watch Poussey’s death over and over to make it sure it was real. One thing that stood out to me was the words she said as she was dying. Poussey kept telling the guard that she couldn’t breathe and that he was hurting her. As I was watching this scene and hearing these words, I couldn’t help but hear the pleads of Eric Garner as he was killed in almost the same exact way. Then it hit me, Poussey’s death was a Black Lives Matter statement. During this year in the news all you heard about was numerous African American’s being killed by white police officers and the officers getting off Scott-free while another mother, wife, husband or child has to bury their son, daughter, husband or wife. In the season finale of OITNB, Poussey's body isn't even moved from where she was killed until hours later. This happened to represent the death of Michael Brown who was was by Officer Darren Wilson. Michael Brown was shot 12 times and died around the hour of 1 p.m. his body however didn't make it to the morgue until 4:37 p.m. that day.
Now before you say that Poussey's death is any way different than what I compared it to, let me explain why that wouldn't be a credible argument. Eric Garner died because officers believed that he was selling cigarettes illegally; Poussey went to jail for trespassing and the distribution of marijuana. It was said that Eric Garner was resisting arrest when he died; Poussey touched the officer when he was trying to get Suzanne (Crazy Eyes) under control which caused him to think that he was being attacked by her. What needs to be seen in these two situations is that they are both so similar. Why do you think they picked a fan-favorite for this to happen to? Because people pay attention!
What I don't get is how you can cry and be heart broken for Samira Whiley, an actress playing someone who died in a show, but you can't feel that same pain for Eric Garner, an actual person who actually died. This is where the importance of Poussey's death rolls in. People praise these characters in shows and feel pain and heartache for them when something dire happens but they cant feel the same exact pain when it happens to an actual person in the same exact way.
Yes this is about black lives matter because too many black lives are in trouble and maybe a show like OITNB can help people realize that something is wrong.
Macklemore said in his song 'White Privilige II":
"Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire.
The fire department wouldn't show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter.
They would show up and they would turn their water on the house that is burning
Because that's the house that needs the help the most."
Yes all lives matter, but it's not the lives of all that are constantly being killed for unjustly reasons, just black lives and something needs to be down; a light needs to be shed on this issue and hopefully now some has dawned on this problem.
