All lives matter
Okay, next.
There are more white people been shot by the police in America
Yes I know
Another fun chart:
Make of it what you want. I am not here to convince about anything but desist from making such comments in the comment section.
I have never been racially abused in my life. That's a fact. I live on a black continent within a black community. I have never worked for a foreigner which is the closest you can get when it comes to racism or being racially profiled, so it is not something I can directly identify with.
The very first time I watched 'when they see us' a movie adaption of a real-life event I was broken. I have read and seen movies about racism, slavery and the likes but watching that movie was one of the most traumatising things of my life. Many times I have wondered where the deep mistrust and hatred for white people stem from? (Yes a lot of black people hate white people because of what they represent). It is deeper than slavery, which I often try to sweep under the carpet because you know it's been a long time and we should get over it 🤡. It is more about the constant reminder of the social and economical injustice towards a group of people based on the colour of their skin. The Floyd case just highlights or reawaken old wounds that never truly healed.
RAGE AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL.
Being angry at someone or something is so comforting especially when you don't know what to do about that person or situation. Most times things never really change until people get angry and violent. However, rage is such a destructive emotion. Imagine having to tear something down in other to build it when you can simply work with what you have and make adjustments. The reality is many people are unwilling to compromise until they've lost their bargaining power because power in itself is intoxicating and no one relinquishes power without some form of force.
I often try to stay away from the media rage because I see it as a propaganda of some sort. Social media has become a social court and a cesspool of rage and it had become a norm whereby the emotion--rage, is more important than the course--either be it the fight for women's right or racial injustice. At the end of the day, someone is profiting from my rage while my course is suffering--while the issue at hand is left unresolved. Armchair activism is the most cynical thing to me...
BUT
If you take a dive into history and examine some of the greats revolutions that changed the world, they all started with people--writers experiencing their strong opinions and inciting the masses. Our writers today are behind screens.
This might be the most controversial thing I have to say today:
I really don't have a problem with some disliking me based on the colour of my skin. It is such a stupid thing do but I honestly do not have a problem with it. I have my own prejudice. There are certain things and people I don't like, the only difference is my dislike for them isn't based on their race. In this part of the world, it's more about tribes than race. I might dislike someone because of their culture or the language they speak, which is still a very stupid thing. Most of these things we've learnt unconsciously and as an adult, I have had to unlearn some of them. Personally, these things become more of an issue to me when it goes from just dislike to intentional causing harm to the said person or group. This for me is where racism begins and it is all hinged on a superiority complex.
Some white people do not know why they dislike black people. For most of them, it's a thing of fear due to misinformation. These individuals are redeemable, they just need proper education and exposure. The real racists are those who think they are superior to black people, that's why they were able to ship black people from their continent and sell them as commodities on the market. The real racists are those who think black lives don't matter. It is one thing to be uncomfortable with the violence and riot and a totally different thing to be indifferent about the cause. The reality is as long as injustice exists and people are enraged there will be people willing to profit from it by pushing their own agenda and the only true way to fix things is by solving the problem and clearly, the problem isn't the rioting and violence, they are only just symptoms.
I do not endorse victimhood. There is a strong part of me that resists the idea of being a victim irrespective of what life throws my life. Rather than being enraged (which is still valid) I think it is more important for the black communities to grow--and we are. Things aren't the same as they were 60years ago but there is still a lot to be done. I support people fighting for their rights and justice. I hate the fact that the media is politicising it but at the same time, we can not hide under the guise of living in a progressive community when we still have issues like racial discrimination and police brutality still rampant in our communities.
