I don’t want to talk about Michael Brown.
I don’t want to talk about Trayvon Martin.
I don’t want to talk about Tamir Rice.
I don’t want to talk about Jordan Davis.
I don’t want to talk about Timothy Stansbury Jr.
I don’t want to talk about John Crawford.
I could go on…but I don’t want to.
We can argue all day and night. We will not get anywhere. Jury’s. Indictments, non-indictments. Trials, no trials. Armed, unarmed. Fearing for lives, just living their lives.
No one believes all cops are bad. There are members of law enforcement I respect and love with all my heart. I appreciate their work.
No one believes all white people are racist. There are allies who are working hard and listening.
No one believes all protestors are looters and out to destroy. We watched for 109 days your civil disobedience where little to nothing was damaged and non-violent marches and vigils took place.
With all of the things we all know no one believes…I have one question:
Why does no one believe Black America?
It doesn’t seem to matter if there are statistics to back up their pain.
It doesn’t seem to matter if there are facts and studies and numbers to give the rest of us something solid to hold on to instead of just emotions.
It doesn’t seem to matter if they ask nicely or scream loudly or speak from the highest office in the land. As the President of the United States said, “But what is also true is that there are still problems and communities of color aren’t just making these problems up.”
Why? Why does no one believe Black America? The PRESIDENT has to remind us communities of color aren’t just making these problems up. Why on earth do we think they are? Why would we QUESTION their life experiences??? Who are we to say what they live every day is somehow, not true? Why.don’t.you.believe.them?
If there is any hope for any of us, if there is any chance to heal decades of pain, to right wrongs, to have the slightest bit of empathy for our fellow man…we need to believe.
We need to believe when they tell us they hurt.
We need to believe when they tell us their truths.
We need to believe when they tell us their lives are not like ours.
We need to believe when they ask us to listen and learn.
We need to believe in our friends, our neighbors, our family, our community as they write, speak, sing, scream, march, and plead for us to HEAR THEM.
I hear them. I believe them.
Do you?
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