as i see it, the safest place for a black person to be is inside their own home. anywhere and everywhere else is life threatening.
as soon as they step outside, their hands must be visible and toward the sky. all clothing worn must be tight and no place for anything to be stored. as we have learned, hoodies are an open invitation to be killed. if a police officer is coming down the street and stops you, all you can do is pray.
be nothing but respectful to the police officer, as if their brothers and sisters have never killed your own. do not reach for anything, and once they ask you to get something, it's up to you. do not feel comfortable in yourself, that's terrifying to them. do not breathe, if possible, for that could make them feel threatened.
and if all goes wrong and you end up bleeding out because a police officer was so scared you would take his life, he in turn took yours. do not worry.
the police officer will get sent bad messages on social media, maybe some calls. your name will be sung and you will loved by people you have never met, and you never will meet. news stations will have pictures of you to make you seem like a criminal, but all they truly know is your skin color. the nation will cry for you and fight for you. your name will be known. so will the name of the police officer that shot and killed you.
the police officer may make it into a court. your family will be there, wondering how could he have done this to...... my father? my mother? my wife? my son? my boyfriend?
your family's hearts will ache. they will cry as the police officer that took away someone they loved says the magic words.
"it was self defense." or perhaps, "i was scared for my life."
that is all he has to say and the judge will instantly ignore the police officer's clothes, drenched in your blood, dripping onto the floor beneath them. the judge will not charge the person who took your life.
your name will be remembered. it will be screamed over and over and over, people hoping somehow you will be served justice.
although, it will not take long until another life is taken because of skin color. all of this will repeat for them. some will claim it isn't because of skin color, some will know better, and some will ignore it.
it is easy to ignore when your friends and family aren't being killed. it is easy to ignore when you don't have the fear of walking down the street and not being shot at. it is easy to ignore when you don't have to worry about if how you look tonight will get you killed. it is easy to ignore when you aren't drowning in the blood of your brothers and sisters.
after all, that's what privilege is, isn't it?
s.d.
