Alton Sterling. Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Oscar Grant. Freddie Gray. Eric Garner. Tamir Rice. Renisha McBride. Rekia Boyd. Jay Anderson. Deeniqiua Dodds. The number of Black people killed at the hands of police and the system of white supremacy is far too many to count. It saddens me to say that I will never realize the amount of pain, loss, and anger that we as a people have felt not even just these past couple of years, but since we were forced into this country in the first place. I am tired. We are tired. I can’t step foot out of my house without wondering if I will become the next hashtag, or if I will become the next name on a t-shirt, or if I will become the next name shouted at a protest, this is no way to live.
When will my black life matter? Why do we have to ask for our people not to be killed in cold blood? We have more questions than answers at this point and I honestly do not know what our future will hold. We are tired. We are fed up with being fed the same stories over and over again. We are fed up with white America writing our narratives. We are fed up with feeling the need to alter ourselves in order to live comfortably in society only to discover that it does not matter either way. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Today I ask that we as the young black people coming up, fight for us. I am asking that we have genuine conversations about what’s going on and actually working to solve the issues. I know that it is tempting to say “If I die in police custody make sure it all burns!” and leave it at that, but we have to make decisions that will lead to black liberation, for the young black children that come after us. Destroying our own communities has not worked in the past but peaceful protests have not provided desired results either. What is the solution? Truth be told, I alone do not have answers. Since I have no answers, it is not my place to condemn any resistance, I do not condemn any resistance whether I have solutions or not. Even though we know our lives matter, we will not get to where we need to be by being broken. We will not die the joke. We will not become a memory of this bloodstained land. We will not rot.
We will not die the people that were and are now no more.
Black liberation will not be achieved in my lifetime. Knowing this fuels my drive for working towards making life even just a little better for the generations of Black children that come after me. This Donald Trump presidency will be tough and will be emotionally trying, but the movement has to live on. With resources such as the Resistance Manual at our fingertips, getting involved and supporting the cause is much easier.
We will win.
We already are worn from carrying the load. We will not be tasked with acquiring freedom in silence for white comfort. Freedom is not silent. Freedom is loud. Freedom is noise. When I look and I see my people murdered in the streets like animals by the same people who took an oath to serve and protect, do not expect a silent resistance. I’m not going to be quiet because it is an inconvenience to you, I will not be quiet when I am fighting for my life.
