Why Should I Have to Risk My Life to Protect My Life?

We have been singing the same song for centuries. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Ida B. Wells, and the many others have been fighting for what we, to this day, are still fighting for. Not much has changed from when Martin Luther King Jr. made his “I Have a Dream” speech. Not much has changed from when Malcolm X made his speech about police brutality in 1962. Not much has changed from when Ida B. Wells wrote “A Crusade for Justice”, condemning the unlawful lynching of black men in America. The truth of the matter is that our country has been built off of systemic oppression which works to keep black communities in positions of need. This systemic oppression is the basis upon which our police enforcement, justice system, political system etc. thrive off of to silence the pain and suffering of our communities. 

I have heard news outlets stress the importance of fixing the “broken” systems that make black men and women targets of police brutality and racial injustice. That sounds great but come here I have a secret for you… our systems are not broken but working in ways that they were intended to from the time they were put in place. For example, redlining practices--which started in the National Housing Act of 1934-- prevented black people from living in certain areas through making us ineligible for loans that would give us access to better neighborhoods. Although it is “illegal” today, communities are still segregated on the basis of race and socioeconomic advantage because of that law... That is just a small example of how our systems are not broken but just still working against people of color because that was its original purpose. We cannot expect these systems to magically work in our favor today when the people that laid the framework for these very systems purposely left us out.

With all of this being said, black people and people of color are more than fed up with how these systems are treating us. We are angry, exhausted and willing to do whatever is needed to reform the systems and be seen as people deserving of respect and equal protection under the law. We go out and protest so that our voices are heard and that the issues we are facing become top priority. Protesting and riots have proved to be beneficial to not only getting our point across but attaining some form of change within the justice system; it has worked in the past and will definitely work again. Specifically in 1968, after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, there were protests, rioting and looting happening all over the world (sound familiar?). The passionate actions of the people resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which “prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, retail and financing of housing base on race, religion, national origin or sex.”

Although protesting and rioting has been deemed successful in forcing people in power to acknowledge the issues and the unlawful treatment of black people in America, we have to strategize alternatives. This is because, as black people, we are experiencing an extreme crisis. Not only are we being killed in the streets because of our black skin but we are suffering disproportionately to COVID-19. So now, more than ever, going out to protest puts us at risk of contracting this virus. Let me remind you we are also not safe in hospitals because it is known that people of color receive far less quality of care compared to our white counterparts. We have seen videos where police enforcement are still using excessive force even during peaceful protests. Our president tweeted “When the looting star, the shooting starts.” Rather than acknowledging the issues that led to the looting, he uses his power and influence to end more lives. He would rather more blood on the streets of America than rectify the structures that subject our people to this inhumane treatment.

So, yes protesting is effective and we should be extremely vocal about what we need from our own country. However, as black people, we have to put ourselves first. We should not have to risk our lives to protect our lives, especially in a time like this. Our lives are more vulnerable than ever. One of my best friends, made a video to describe exactly what the black community can do instead of putting our lives in danger protesting. She recommended boycotting white owned companies/brands and supporting everything black owned. I hyperlinked her IG TV above! Please watch the entire video and comment your thoughts. 

Again, there is nothing wrong with protesting and rioting… black people are allowed to react to the mistreatment that has been condoned by this country for years. But, we must also be smart and strategic! We should not have to put ourselves in the direct line of fire for changes to be made and for people to care. 

Stay safe and empowered!

Love, 

The EBW