This pandemic has put us in a crazy time. I’ve equated it to watching the Netflix movie The Birdbox because we’ve been sequestered in our house and we were given the impression that, “If you come outside and just breathe the air … you’re going to die!” It’s left a whole nation in their homes in survival mode. As for me, it’s allowed me to get some of my projects accomplished and devise a plan of action towards my next book.
During this time of the pandemic, it has allowed a lot of people to spend a lot of time on social media. Lord, if I see another “Challenge” pop-up on my feed, I am going to scream.
This time has also allowed me to digest the unnecessary brutality inflicted on my people; the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
Both deaths were tragic and unnecessary; BreonnaTaylor was killed when the police raided her house on a “No-knock” warrant and did not identify themselves as officers. Furthermore, they went to a location where the person who the warrant was issued for didn’t live anywhere near Breonna, and they already had the person in custody when they executed the warrant. Not only was Ms. Taylor killed, but the police charged her boyfriend for attempted murder because he returned fire; he thought that he and Breonna were being robbed.
While Breonna’s death is tragic, frustrating and unfortunately, sounding all too familiar, the incident with Ahmaud Aubery really hit home for me. Everyone in the world has been talking about how many pounds they have put on since the pandemic, gaining that “Rona weight.” Even though my gym had shut down just like everything else, I set in my mind that I was not going to be that person; I refused to gain any significant weight. So, I decided to do some running around my neighborhood (truthfully, it’s more of a slow jog/fast walk. But don’t judge me).
Ahmaud was minding his own business when three men racially profiled him and killed him for … GETTING SOME EXERCISE!? SERIOUSLY!? Not only did that incident bring out a wide range of emotions in me, but I was reminded of my own incident of racial profiling just a few days earlier.
I had gotten a royalty check and I went to the ATM of the bank where I have an account (by the way, the bank is in the neighborhood where I live and is where I opened my account). I planned on depositing the check at the ATM machine. In the process, I signed the check, pulled out my checkbook, entered the transaction, and because there was no one behind me, I took the time to balance my checkbook (don’t judge me).
Next thing I knew, I saw lights and I heard a voice saying over a speaker, “PUT YOUR HANDS OUT OF THE WINDOW, WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!” I was perplexed. What in the world was going on?
Now, I immediately complied with the officer’s directions because the last thing that I wanted to happen was for me to be on social media for this! I gave the officer my license, registration, and proof of insurance. Then, I was asked, “What are you doing over here?”
“First of all, I LIVE over here! Second, I was making a deposit and was taking the time to balance my checkbook since there was no one behind me. What seems to be the problem?”
What I found out was that someone called the police stating, “… a black man in a ‘suspicious looking car’ was in front of an ATM machine, and he appeared to be doing something to the machine.”
I had to show the officer the deposit slip, my checkbook, my debit/ATM card, and where I got the check from to prove to him that I was doing nothing illegal or ill-gotten. At the same time, another police cruiser came by … I guess the officer needed “backup.”
After thirty minutes of questioning, I was let go. As I got home and sat in my chair, I was frustrated and saddened; frustrated by the fact that this incident I had just experienced is not isolated or a rarity … it is commonplace. I was thankful because the incident could have ended a lot worse, but it still didn’t sit right with me.
Then, just as I was digesting the incidents of Mr. Aubery and Ms. Taylor, I saw the video of George Floyd. Oh my Lord! I could only watch the video once, that was enough. The range of emotions I felt as I watched that video were so high, I felt my skin itch as I began to break out in a cold sweat.
I watched as the officer showed no remorse and had a callous look on his face as if he didn’t care while he had his weight on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty-four seconds (thank you, Dave Chappelle, for the time)! In that time, Floyd was compliant, and he was begging for air as he said, “I can’t breathe!” (Just like Alton Sterling.)
Then, I was almost brought to tears when I heard this man cry out for his mom … a woman who had passed away, as he was taking his last breaths. The hurt, the despair, the anger I was feeling at that moment … it’s unexplainable.
Unfortunately, this was again … not an isolated incident. This type of discrimination, excessive force, and police brutality has been going on for generations. But like the murdering of Emmett Till and some other isolated incidents, this killing took on a whole new meaning and it had sparked a renewed outcry for not just civil rights … but human rights.
With me being born in the Generation “X” timeframe, I admittedly criticize Generation “Z,” their music, their style of dress, and their habits are from another planet to me. However, that generation has access to more than I could have ever dreamed of when I was their age, and they are a lot more “woke” than my generation. I appreciate them for bringing the truth to light: there is a systemic problem in this country when it comes to human rights, human decency, and racial discrimination.
I was encouraged when I saw that the “Black Lives Matter” movement was on a global scale. I realized that the cries of a group of people was not totally unheard and that the world could see that there is injustice going on. I looked at the posts and the galvanization of people demanding change from the government. To quote Professor X from the old school rap group, X-Clan, it was “Vainglorious.”
Please look for future articles of this 4 part series when Melvin Jones continues on with his opinion on how it feels to deal with racism from life-long friends who he thought loved him.
