June 4, 2020 7:00 EST
One used his constitutional right. That same person was even encouraged to take a knee by Nate Boyer who served in the military, only to be called out of his name along with others. Though not featured on television as an Apprentice, Colin Kaepernick was FIRED! Now, can’t we all see?
Our fathers and mothers are patriotic, too. We served this country in honor, even when facing double jeopardy. So, do not tell me that my people are not patriotic. Now, can’t we all see? This is hypocrisy.
Our fathers and mothers died while being brought to this country before and during the middle passage. They were raped, used, abused, lynched, killed, and buried. Then, if not buried, their body parts were used as props to take pictures that adorned their homes. Our fathers and mothers suffered the harsh treatment of slave patrols, reconstruction, sharecropping, Jim Crow, unfair lending, driving while black, shopping while black, and breathing while black until they couldn’t breathe no more. Our fathers and mothers suffered from major illnesses attributed to stress.
Our children were ripped from their mother’s womb, forced into child labor, raped, snatched from their families, and sold. Children were maimed, lynched, and killed, as were their parents, and their parents, and on and on. Children have been taken in human and sexual trafficking in disproportionate numbers. This usually is not reported for others to be aware of or help.
Now, can’t we all see?
The other knee depicts the tale of the weight of systematic racism on the necks of negroes, coloreds, blacks, and African Americans.
Our fathers and mothers died from a direct result of unfair policing, sentencing, and the death penalty without trial, be it fair or not. The industrial prison population, gerrymandering, health disparities including mental health, poor education, being jailed instead of offered help for drug addiction (opioid crisis versus crack), poor media coverage by both sides of the majority, poverty, coronavirus, quality food scarcity, and so much weight. This accumulation of weight has been on our necks but is now more visible for the majority of society to see, but the fact is the weight was and is on our backs today. The back weight of privilege, injustice, and post-traumatic slave syndrome has been on our backs for over 3 minutes and 50 seconds. The weight is on our necks and backs before we even take our first breath. It’s systemic; it’s transgenerational; it’s painful.
Our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters are dragged from our homes to weaken our families. Often our mothers and fathers are blamed for it. We are accused by harmful politics and policies that oppress us daily and this. This. This goes on and on. This is why I am not okay, Amy, Karen, Becky, Fred, Pete, Tom, etc.
NO, I am not okay. We are not okay, and you (your treatment of us is) are not okay. So, just stop kneeing us! Stop health inequities, pay disparities, economic inequalities, mass incarceration by race, hyperincarceration by race, zero-tolerance programs by race, structural racism and bias, interpersonal racism and bias, the objectification of African American women, sexual and human trafficking of black bodies, and repetitive trauma.
Stop killing us! Stop repeating unjust actions and systemic racism. Remember…
Tanisha Anderson
Ahmaud Arbery
Sandra Bland
Rekia Boyd
Michael Brown
Miriam Carey
Philando Castile,
William Chapman II
Jamar Clark
Terence Crutcher
Shantel Davis
Monika Diamond
Sam Dubose
Manuel Ellis
Shelley Frey
George Floyd
Korryn Gaines
Eric Garner
Oscar Grant,
Freddie Gray
Akai Gurley
Darnisha Harris
Eric Harris
Kendra James
Botham Jean
Atatiana Jefferson
Kathryn Johnston
Trayvon Martin
David McAtee
Tony McDade
Jeremy McDole
Tyisha Miller
Laura Nelson
Nina Pop
Tamir Rice
Walter Scott
Yvette Smith
Aiyana Stanley-Jones
Alton Sterling
Breonna Taylor
Emmitt Till
Hayes Turner
Mary Turner
Pamela Turner
Malissa Williams
Tarika Wilson
Eliza Woods
And so many more
Further, do not police our emotions or our voice. THIS IS NOT OKAY!
TO BE OKAY and develop accountability, trust and heal from these continuous human right violations, we all must recognize our knees and where we place them and have needed conversations and actions that lead to true justice, resolutions, reconciliation, and peace. That will be a start to us being okay.
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