Imagine that every time you turn on the news, you see another video of a black person being shot, strangled or beaten to death by the police. Then imagine that the person killed was being placed under arrest for a misdemeanor crime such as selling CD’s without a permit, failing to signal at a turn or even just walking home with a hoodie on, not breaking any laws. Next I want you to picture yourself following the investigation and trial of this person’s death only to find out that the officers responsible will not be charged and there will be no further investigation. This is reality for every black person in the United States of America right now no matter their socioeconomic class, neighborhood or education level. Racist police officers have shown us all that we are only one police stop away from being another hashtag on twitter, another life taken too soon by people who are filled with hatred.

Right now, I honestly fear for not only my life, but for the life of my father, my brothers, my uncles, my cousins and my friends. I worry every time one of us leaves our house because we run the risk of ending up in a body bag. I shouldn’t have to live my life in fear and neither should anyone else. I shouldn’t have to calculate the risk of approaching a police officer to ask for directions. The fact that black people who are clearly restrained with handcuffs are being accused of attacking police officers and then subsequently shot to death is ridiculous and downright disgusting. Even with the use of body cameras, police are still committing these heinous acts because they know the judicial system will always be on their side.

Time and time again America has tried to dismantle the black community, yet we remain resilient. After each murder, we dust ourselves off, put on brave faces and protest in the streets. We cannot and will not be silenced as a people until we can truly walk down the street without worrying about the chances of us making it home safely. We’ve done everything White America has asked us to do: work in the fields, build the country from the ground up, abide by Jim Crow, put our hands up when approached by an officer, refuse to make any sudden movements, answer all questions asked and abide by the law, yet we still somehow are doing something “wrong.” Which one of us is going to be next? Is any one of us safe? When will we truly be free from oppression? I urge you to educate yourself as much as possible on the topic of police brutality in the United States whether it’s through protest, speaking out to your congressman, or in the classroom. Stay woke. Don’t let your rights be trampled on.