For centuries, the protest has been the mainstay in black America. It was a means of voicing concerns about segregation, civil rights, equal employment, fair wages, voting rights, and anything else of worth that has gone, and will continue to go, unheard. As for people of color, these living violations run afoul of what’s equal. Is this the expectation of white America, or is this the reality of inequality hovering over less fortunate people? For me, all of the above applies.
Since the time of slavery, blacks have found ways to protest through songs and reading the bible. From these teachings, singing and rejoicing were a release that took these enslaved people away from their reality. They sang to forget and strengthen their resolve, and finally, they sang to numb the pain and suffering of so much venomous hatred. What followed then was prayer, an ultimate means of resolution, but only a temporary peace that bore further trepidation. My question is simple: the America I grew up in is not such a biased place.
Hoping for the best and relying on obedience became a ritual that quickly turned into an obsession that never mattered. To add insult to injury, white enslavers employed the idea of division. They conquered and succeeded by raping and impregnating black women, giving light-skinned Negroes better perks, but soiled them nonetheless, labeling these children as bastards and half-breeds.
As time moved on, the evolution of protest took on an array of forms, from continued displeasure to marching, sitting, kneeling, speaking up, enduring, turning the cheek, and starving ourselves. Still, on this day and in this current time, blacks are being shot down in cold blood, raising an eyebrow in white America. Why? In a phrase, they don’t care, and they never will.
In my view, like many others, the killing of blacks is murder without cause or threat of any kind. Even when captured on camera, police officers fell back on their privilege. They are exonerated for these heinous acts of hatred and extreme bias, resulting in the elimination of black lives that affect generations, and perhaps that’s their motivation. They tend to win often, leaving us reliant on them to provide, and that phrase was difficult even to write. We need more of our independence and less ‘white validation.’ We could have our own if we realized the wealth in unity. Any unified effort that creates lasting wealth is worth pursuing. Job creation, educational platforms and reforms, and stabilizing an economic base with vast opportunity must thrive in our communities before lasting success becomes OUR norm. But before any of this can happen, a commitment to win and unify must become the catalyst for people who need change.
This Article was Last Updated On: November 12, 2025