Turn on the news and you are guaranteed to learn about one more young, Black, male being shot by what was once the most unlikely suspect, a police officer.
This type of homicide occurs so often, it is almost the norm. Entire police departments are suddenly "outted" as being "racist." ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENTS!!! And there is a great sigh in the Black community, saying, FINALLY the rest of the world (would that mean White members of society?) knows what Black members of society have been saying for decades.
Mother's of young, Black, males are warning their sons to stay away from what could be perceived as "trouble" situations and or people. They discourage a certain style of dress, location visited - particularly at night - and how they speak to the police if - God forbid! - they become "detained."
Black mothers on a whole are worried their sons may not make it home. Socio-economic background, educational status and family connections are irrelevant in such thoughts. Any Black male is a potential chalk outline. Frankly, not even AGE is an exception to this prejudice; mature, professional, Black males have been "compromised" while attending to their lives, as well.
A Black gentleman in his forties relayed a story about attending a police station after receiving a call from his client. When he arrived at the station to help sort his client's issues, he was detained by the police officer who would not believe he was the client's social worker - even after the social worker followed protocol and presented his organization's security pass and I.D. This gentleman was questioned at length, asked several different ways what his relationship was to the client, and his supervisor was called as well as questioned before HIS release... remember, HE went to the police station to ASSIST his desperate client. When asked why he believed the officer detained him, the social worker indicated that his client was a female, and assumed the officer believed he was her pimp - even though his client had no history of prostitution - or her drug dealer. QUESTION: How did this officer's treatment of a fellow professional prove the social worker's effectiveness to his client? Would this treatment not reduce the social worker's potency in his client's eyes? Maybe that was the point.
The claim that Canada is an exception to prejudice is simply ignorant. The social worker's account took place in Canada.
Recently a mother shared a story of her son's fear for his own safety. When she inquired as to WHY he felt afraid, he said, "because Black guys are being killed by the police" - this mother's son was nine.
There is a problem with this situation.
Black males SHOULD have THE RIGHT to live their lives FREE of the fear of becoming a statistic.
After the spree of news reports about unarmed Black men being shot, as a female, I grew concerned about walking the streets of my 30 year neighbourhood, after sun fall (which is the best time to walk as few people are "out" interrupting your work out or distracting you from your moments of reflection). Standing almost six feet tall, solidly built, with short hair and wearing my husband's baggy sweats and cozy hoody, I could easily be mistaken for a man, particularly from behind. During my evening constitutions, I admit to experiencing moments of fear, where in I am shot from behind only for the mistaken identity to be realized AFTER I am rolled, face up, in the dirt.
Again, I say, there is something wrong with this reality.
When these thoughts occur to me, I cannot help but wonder, what happened with Black people? When did it become BAD to be Black?
Given the incredible history of the African people, how did we go from being the parents of this earth's occupants (as evidenced by current science) to people possessing less valued lives?
YOU Finding.
I believe the answer to this is simple - and many-fold - which must include new civilization's ignorance, not to mention, weakness, in needing to replace the previous civilization's existence with their own.
For whatever the reason - like denying current civilization knowledge of their predecessor's accomplishments to establish their own power and
status; hatred and or fear of said predecessors and their power, or
- less
maniacally -
wishing to
make room
for the new
regime,
the sad
reality
of human
history is,
we humans
very
seldom
repect
the
Previous
People.
So
power
hungry,
insecure and arrogant are we, we reject the notion "they" have anything to offer us. Should we be wise enough to learn from their accomplishments, once satiated, we relieve ourselves of the burden of "them," assuming our "rightful place" as conquerors. Most civilizations have laid their foundation this way, from one extreme or the other.
Let us look at current day architecture, for example. Historical societies across the globe contest current government for allowing developers the right to REPLACE history with new, gleaming, modern structures. These societies believe history is being lost to our future. Of course, they are correct; what seems passe to current people will inevitably be awe inspiring to the next. Current day society, seldom grasp the concept of protecting history until history is lost to them.
This is what has occurred with African history. This is why the Black man's life has been relegated to naught. The epic tale of him was not diligently recorded or was buried, burnt, torn down and or CHANGED in current record.
Part of the power shift.
If you recall history class, you might remember lectures on The Romans, The Greeks, The Egyptians, with a mention of Kemet and the Gold coast - trading center of the world. Had you ever wondered what happened BEFORE these civilizations? How these civilizations came to be? Where did the OTHER Africans fit in with this history (you know Egypt is IN Africa, right?). History lessons forty years ago referred to Africa as a remote, uncivilized place (which just so happened to be the center of human existence)!
Recent decades, though, finds scientist exploring a more COMPLETE record of history. The new regime has been left behind to find the greater story of human history; verifying that history began long before the Greeks and Egyptians with "Lower Africa"; this truth cinched by the discovery of Lucy.
And the incredible story of human perseverance.
** Upcoming series on this page will outline the timeline of human kind, identifying a rich chronicle of African people.