God has given me a heart for social justice. However, sometimes my emotions get too wrapped up in it and I spend my days angry and/or disheartened by the things that I read, see, and hear. But then I go into my prayer time with the Lord where He comforts me, loves on me, and gives me peace all the while assuring me that whatever it is I'm stressing about is in His hands. Recently, it's been Baltimore. And I know that the many other cities, every city, is in His hands as well, but we have to make sure that we keep those cities in His hands. You see, Baltimore is not some distant city still struggling with racism of the past. Baltimore's issues are here and now, and they exist in pretty much every other city or town in America as well as many places abroad. Racism never died, it just evolved. What we need to understand here in America is that most of us, regardless of color, want the same thing--to be valued and treated as equals. But when we say things like "race doesn't matter" and "I don't see color" then that also means that you don't see the racial differences that are still widely present in our society. That means that you don't see why the killing of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown are actually regular occurrences due to the fact that black men and women are stereotyped as thugs, aggressive, and criminals. That means that you don't see that calling every black man with dreads, braids, dark skin, or "urban" clothing a thug is actually a stereotype when many of these men are doctors, lawyers, electricians, etc. That means that you don't see why it's inappropriate to talk about and touch black women's hair and then cringe because it is different than your own loose textured hair. That means you don't see why it's no okay for little black girls who don't wear their hair in it's natural, voluminous state to be suspended from school because their hair is considered a distraction. I could go on and on, but hopefully by now you see what I mean. I also hope that you SEE and UNDERSTAND that black people are hurting. We're hurting from the degrading affects that racism has had on our own lives. I hurt when I hear my friend talk about the black boys that she works with who say that they would never date a black girl, yet have no reason for saying this or utilize stereotypes to justify their demeaning statements. I hurt when I see young brown and dark skin girls whose self esteem is low simply because of the color of the skin that GOD gave them. I hurt when I see black people being called animals and thugs when the name caller doesn't even know who they are.
Many of us do not even know that we are operating through and perpetuating racist stereotypes. We are taught very little about our country's racist past, but our parents pass down and teach us what they learned, what they thought, and what they did when it came to race relations. Not everything that our parents have taught us is good. It's important to know though that most people these days are not intentionally racist. Most white people are not secretly running around with the KKK or harboring a secret hatred for black people. Most people act based off of what they have seen, heard, or have been taught about black folks via TV and the media. Unfortunately many of the things we see, hear, and are taught about black folks these days are untrue or grossly skewed. Racism does not only exist on an individual level, but instead it is ingrained in the structure of our society; it is institutionalized. One example of this institutionalized racism is the black genocide of the 60s when racial minorities were being used as test subjects for the birth control pill without their full consent. A current example is the over representation of African Americans in our nations penal system. If only we could recognize this institutionalized racism for what it is and agree that it no longer serves us as a country or our quest to truly live as equals. They keep saying that race doesn't matter, but God made us all different for a reason. I don't believe that race should be ignored; I think that it should be embraced. Ignoring race is how we got to where we are today in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. and if we continue to turn the blind eye to this country's deeply rooted issues then we will also continue to see these uprisings. Baltimore's issues with racial tension, police brutality, and poverty are not isolated to that one city alone. Please do not look at Baltimore as some far off place that has no affect on your life. You're more than likely living in your very own Baltimore right now. It may be bigger or smaller, worse off or a little better, but generally the same issues still stand. Baltimore is not simply a painting, it is a mirror that reflects the conditions of black people all over this country.
True Love
