Every time a Person of Color (POC) has to swallow yet another blatant injustice, it becomes more and more difficult. The anger and rage continue to fight against one’s individual peace. Even for that one POC in your life that you feel you know very well and you consider a friend; that person you can’t imagine ever being angry; Yes, her too.
It is a difficult circumstance to describe. It is truly peculiar to live a life that others try to summarize based on ‘cover’ rather than ‘content’. Many have and continue to try to articulate it in a way that resonates beyond our own voice.
Books like “Why Black People Tend To Shout”, a more recent article of a similar title, “Why Black Folks Tend To Shout” and works by James Baldwin … to name a very, very, few.
So, in absence of explicit explanation, I will provide examples instead. Ok? Ok.
For every instance when a woman pulls her purse close when you walk by – in a store where you’re both shopping …
For every instance when he’s told in a surprising tone: “oh you speak so well” …
For every instance when a woman says “do you work here?” even though there are 3 people who are also in her line of vision, actually wearing a uniform …
For every unsavory “inside” “joke” that is told in your presence at the office because “oh, she’s cool” …
For those moments when those same coworkers see you out in public and clearly pretend like they don’t so they won’t have to acknowledge you in front of their friends/family …
For every promotion that goes to someone less qualified …
For every time “they” sound genuinely surprised that your child is well dressed and well behaved …
For every son who gets “stopped & frisked” because he’s “walking while Black” …
For every daughter who has to speak on behalf of the entire race when she’s asked about her hair …
For every person who says: “why can’t we have a white history month?” …
For every person who says: “if we had a ‘White Girls Rock’ Black people would be screaming racism” … {ref. Black Girls Rock/Black Girls Rock}
For every major news outlet that granted an interview to an admitted murderer of an unarmed Black teen and went free …
For every state representative who sees nothing wrong at all with the Confederate flag and what it stands for …
This list is a very brief example but all these are real things.
And even after every injustice, whether purposeful or byproduct of other things – there is a spirit that still calls for peace. There is still a fight towards justice for all. There is still forgiveness. But also in that, these can never be forgotten.
They burrow deeply into the dreams of better days ahead. They hibernate in notions of moving beyond easy assumptions and stereotypes. They remain still and quiet and are such a part of everyday life that they cohabitate seamlessly with the business of each day. Until …
Until that last injustice becomes the last injustice; Until the words of peace and justice for all become too bitter to speak; Until the tears cease to flow because so many have come before; Until, the rage bubbles up and over out of its containment because the burdens of peace and respectability have become too much to continue to bear…
There is a rage that although there is no visible flame, its coals are burning hotter and hotter still.
For Marissa Alexander
For Jordan Davis
For Renisha McBride
For Jonathan Ferrell
For Oscar Grant
For Kendrick Johnson
For Michael Giles
For Miriam Carey
For you
For me
For us
Copyright © 2014 Tamika Brown and TheFynePrynt.com
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