If you pay attention, you will find it. You will find a video or a clip of a Black person being attacked for doing average things. The examples are everywhere:
Black man shot in his backyard on New Year’s after firing his AR-15 to celebrate, killed by a police officer who did not announce himself or even see where he was shooting.
· A black man attacked in a hotel lobby because he was checked in before a drunk white couple.
· Police called on a Black woman because she took two extra creamers after buying coffee.
· A black couple was stopped by police and forced to show a receipt for 80 dollars’ worth of groceries.
· Black woman denied entry into her apartment complex.
· Black children were berated for walking in their neighborhood.
· A black basketball player stopped by a white person while riding his bike to basketball practice in the early morning.
The instances of violence, whether physical or psychological, seem to bridge any social, educational, religious, political, military status, or physical location that a Black person might achieve. This means that no matter who you are, where you live, or who you know, you, too, might become a victim of violence at the hands of racists in America.
The social video posts of a Black person being assaulted always seem to happen to someone else, but the statistics of it happening to you are increasing. Assault is a broad term for this article. So, let’s discuss how and when Blacks are being attacked in America.
PUBLIC POLICY
The gains that Blacks have made over the last sixty years with a public policy are quickly being eliminated. The Equal Rights movement led to some of the most productive legislation Blacks had ever seen, but lately, those rights are being attacked all over the country. The right to vote should be basic, but when policies are created to suppress Blacks’ ability to vote, it creates an opportunity for those who Blacks oppose continuing to create laws that do not benefit Blacks.
The redistricting of voting lines is designed to reduce the power of democratic voting blocks. If the lines are set up to reduce Black populated areas, it kills the ability of Blacks to singularly control elections.
Affirmative Action was enacted to create a balanced playing field. But the Supreme Court will soon decide if Affirmative Action laws are still needed. If the law is changed, Blacks will no longer be able to enjoy competing for positions based on equality. This will be a major blow for Blacks’ civil rights and the Equal Rights movement altogether.
POLICING
Blacks have always been the subject of abusive policing in America. The fact that the modern-day police department was born from the need to track and capture slaves reveals why Blacks continue to suffer at the hand of law enforcement in 2022. There continue to be instances of police brutality, killings at the hands of police, and racial profiling.
While there seems to be a small shift in the police being held accountable for their actions, there are still far too many situations where Blacks are being hunted and harassed daily.
“I have to constantly remind my sons when they leave the house to drive a certain way,” Victor from Cleveland said. “The crazy thing is, that still might not help if they encounter a cop where they are guilty before being determined innocent.”
EDUCATION
While the instances of discrimination are dropping, there are still far too many reports of Blacks being denied opportunities based on the color of their skin. We all have heard of the stories where a Black had to cut their hair to compete, being denied the opportunity to graduate based on their hairstyle, or not given the rewards of their accolades because they didn’t look the part.
Recently, there was a report in Lorain, Ohio, where a child was forced to eat food out of the garbage because the lunch attendant felt like they were wasting food. If it were not for video, it probably would have been the child vs. the school lunch aid. The result of this incident is that the school principal and lunch attendant were fired and a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the child and family.
REAL ESTATE
Blacks didn’t have a chance to claim land during The Great Migration of the 1800s when Americans went West for better lives and land. Blacks were excluded from the creation of the suburbs of the 1940s and ‘50s when Whites built homes in suburban communities, watched those property values increase, and then went and did it again and again while building millions in equity to live off of.
Today, Black people are still experiencing discrimination by low-balled appraisals and being redlined from trying to buy homes in certain neighborhoods. In his book, Freedom to Discriminate, Gene Slater uncovers realtors’ definitive role in segregating America and shaping modern conservative ideology. Drawing on confidential documents from leaders of the real estate industry, Slater reveals how realtors systematically created and justified residential segregation.
PRIVILEGED WHITES
The problem of ordinary people trying to exercise their white privilege is at an all-time high in 2022. With the increased amount of videotaping of events, we are witnessing Black people being discriminated against under all kinds of absurd and unwarranted situations. Blacks are questioned all the time now for simply walking, working, swimming, jogging, exercising, and living while being Black.
The solution to the problem can only come with a strict execution of making organizations and people pay for their ignorance. Blacks must begin to prosecute and defend themselves, as long as the solution is not criminal, to change the narrative on being hunted. The real question continues to be: When will Black people truly experience a non-biased society? ●
