All Black Lives Matter!


 
 
 By Heru Ammen
 
 
We are again dealing with the aftermath of what appears to be another unjust shooting of an Afrikan American by a white police officer. As of 10 am eastern time today the shooting victim, Jacob Blake is currently recovering from surgery and is in serious condition paralyzed from the waist down. There is the distinct possibility that he will have to live the rest of his life unable to walk; having been shot by a police officer for opening his car door. Let that sink in for a minute…shot for opening his car door.

It is evident to this writer that the modus operandi of the white police culture in America when faced with an entanglement (if you will) with an Afrikan American is to shoot first and asked questions to determine what the threat “may have been” after shots have been fired and the victim has been incapacitated. Whether the white police officer is racist or just lacked the proper training to properly handle a confrontation precipitated by an Afrikan American opening his car door is immaterial. In either case, its apparent to me that the police actively promote a policy of fear of Afrikan Americans which is instilled in police recruits during training. The fear of Afrikan Americans is the root cause of indiscriminate and unjustified police action against our people, including assault, murder and intimidation.

However, there is another side to the Black Lives Matter movement that has caused the movement to come under scrutiny. In Chicago during the weekend of August 21st through the 23rd, eighty-five Afrikan Americans were shot by other Afrikan Americans. Twenty-four fatally. Let that also sink in for a minute… eighty-five Afrikan Americans were shot by other Afrikan Americans in one city. Twenty-four fatally.  Unlike what is currently the status quo of justifiable protest and outrage in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake and to other victims of police misconduct, I have yet to hear from any person that supports the Black Lives Matter movement address the issue of us killing our own people. It seems we turn a blind eye to mess when it happens in our own house committed by our own family against our own brothers and sisters.  

The dynamic of rightfully protesting and being outraged by police action against our people should also apply when a victim is harmed or murdered unjustly by one of our own people. Black Lives (do) Matter. However, there should be no distinction whatsoever between an Afrikan American being shot and killed by a rogue police officer or an Afrikan American that was shot coming home from the store with food to feed his/her family by a 17 year old Afrikan American terrorizing his neighborhood because he had beef with another brother. That tells me that we have yet to embrace the fact that ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER! Not just the ones that are unjustly shot by police officers.

There aren’t any easy solutions to address the violence that takes place in our neighborhoods. But solutions do exist. Urban neighborhoods suffer from a pervasive and endemic form of generational poverty. At this time, there are very few options, perceived or tangible for young Afrikan Americans living in poor communities other than participating in the predominate gang culture that has become the de-facto hegemony in our poor neighborhoods. We cannot expect our people to exist in poverty and be at peace with one another. 

The individuals and families that live in these dysfunctional urban enclaves of poverty and violence want to eat, live, and pursue their dreams just like all of us do. Apparently, they’ve adopted the philosophy of “by any means necessary.” Unfortunately, the only means they see (perceived or real) at their disposal at this time is to bring harm to each other in the pursuit of money and respect to live the good life that is the so-called American Dream.

If we honestly believe that all black lives matter, then we, the greater Afrikan American community must change that dynamic. When we do that, we can leverage our progress to make a strong case against police violence in our neighborhoods and receive the justice we deserve and which is our inalienable right as human beings to live free in this country without the threat of terror and intimidation by the police and/or our own bothers and sisters.

 

 

 

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