In another episode of Black People Been Knew, it seemed over the weekend America woke up and realized that indeed America is still racist. When I logged onto Twitter, many people in my feed were posting about racism like a child that recognizes Mommy and Daddy are really Santa Claus. It was as if I could slowly see the scales fall from their eyes as they realized perhaps the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy aren’t real either.
People were fired up posting about America ripping innocent children away from their parents at the border in the name of “safety” all day on Monday, and I was amazed.
It was as if America woke up over the weekend and realized:
Maybe Colin Kaepernick wasn’t protesting the flag. Perhaps he really was protesting the unfair treatment of Black people by a racist justice system.
Maybe our justice system does treat Black and Brown people differently?
Maybe those Black youths protesting in Ferguson were right.
Maybe all this hyperpatriotism is really covering up racism.
Maybe there is such a thing as police brutality.
Maybe prison really is for profit.
Maybe Black people were right about Jeff Sessions.
Maybe the 53% of White women that voted for Donald Trump did help a racist get into office.
Maybe Donald Trump is racist.
Maybe all those blogs Hannah wrote about White women were right after we just watched Kirstjen Nielsen defend incarcerating innocent children.
Maybe the slogan Make America Great Again was an ode to the days of slavery and Jim Crow.
Maybe we were warned that this day would be coming.
Maybe we should have listened to Black people.
One thing Black people are extremely equipped at is ringing the alarm. The problem with White America is that it pretends it doesn’t hear and even more pretends it does not see. The reason why I know we still have a lot of work to do in America is that everyone wants to compare what is happening with immigration to what happened to Jewish people in Germany. But you do not have to refer to Germany to make a comparison to the atrocities that are happening in our nation.You can compare what is happening now to what happened in America to Black people. You can compare it to what happened in America to Indigenous people. You can compare it to what happened in America to Japanese people. You don’t have to look far to find some of, if not THE worst crimes against humanity because they occurred right in your own backyard. What is happening today is no different.
Image: Slavery By Any Name
Wounded Knee Massacre
You have fantasized an America that is not real and has never been the reality.This is what you signed up for when you wanted to Make America Great Again. What did you think Donald Trump meant by AGAIN? Name me ONE TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS NATION, America was ever GREAT for Black people?
THIS IS THE AMERICA THAT YOU GET IN YOUR SILENCE!
I have seen this quote on my feed too many times to count last week by Martin Niemöller:
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
But this quote is wrong. First, they came for Black people, and THE WORLD said, “Who gives a damn?”
Rest assured, what you see happening now is a cancer- a cancer that has never been eradicated. America has never dealt with the seeds of its hatred and racism and what you see now is the fruit. If you are foolish enough to believe with your $100,000 job, three-story house and two car garage you are safe, think again. What you see happening in this nation is just practice. The blood is on the leaves and you act as you cannot see it dripping. Your ignorance, cognitive dissonance, and your silence will not save you. Not this time. It is only a matter of time before it is at your doorstep. You have been warned. As you have always been. Now what will you do?