The Swamp logo

When Your Skin is Seen as a Weapon...

Daily Fear in the Black Community

By STACEY PATTERSONPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
Like

I am a single mother of color, and my anxiety for my children grows at a rate that has left me physically ill daily and exhausted. Unable to lock my children away in a safety bubble and not expose them to this racially based society we live in keeps me in a state of panic and depression. They are not safe with police because what they see is black skin as a weapon. Shot first cover up afterward, their peers, who are ignorant and lost in the white haze, believing that other blacks are their enemy, or white people in general, due to their white privilege blindness.

Now white society does not have to think about being white, it is instilled in them from birth that white is right no matter what. Even subconsciously, they assume that all things are or should be based from their perspective and if it differs from that belief then something is fundamentally wrong with that person, place, or thing. Being black, however, is always on the forefront of our minds. We have to consider our skin color concerning everything we do; places we go, and people we interact with. When your skin is black, especially police see it as a weapon. In their eyes, the only recourse in dealing with black people is using deadly force. I will never be desensitized to watching my black counterparts being brutalized. It is the red flag telling me how much white society devalues black lives. Although America is one of the worst culprits, it is happening in many countries around the world.

The black communities need to come together, support black businesses, educate the young people, build up our communities, and develop trust amongst ourselves. We first need to get back to our connection to the higher power, which connects us to the universe. We need to also take responsibility for continuing to let them hold us down. Before unity can occur, we as a people have to let go of the embedded notion that we need to be accepted by or be a part of white society. Now some may say I am promoting segregation in a way yes maybe I am but to our benefit. White segregation’s purpose is to exclude us from their system and make us feel less than them.

What I’m proposing is removing ourselves in every way from their society and uniting to build our own self-sufficient society (Black Wall Street). This would be on a much larger scale than in the 1900s. This proposed self-sufficient Black society would crush their economy for one, annihilate stereotypes that the black community can’t survive on its own. I believe it can be done. The con to this is that the angry white society will try to destroy any progress we make so we have to remain committed. The evidence of this is in our history. In 1900, all across the United States, we built communities such as in Atlanta, Georgia; Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Rosewood, Florida; Washington D.C.; Knoxville, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; New York City; and East St. Louis. All these places had self-contained and working black communities. Hateful whites tried to destroy them. Some were able to rebuild.

We as a people are like tiny seeds in need of planting, fertilizing, and constant observation, maintenance, and care. First, comes knowledge, (the seed), then teaching (fertilizer), followed by organizing and building (observation, maintenance, and care). What we as a community need to do is unite and become a self-sufficient unit. We have done this in the past, so it can be accomplished. We can have our Black Wall Street again. It is completely logical to invest in ourselves. We need to support our black businesses without asking for discounts. The bottom line is we are giving back to ourselves. Successful and knowledgeable men and women of color need to mentor our youth. Show them how to tap into their potential. Lead by example, not feeding into the white man stereotype. It is definitely not going to be easy because you have so many that are still lost in the white haze. They feel easier to continue to walk around and believe the lies that are fed to them through the educational system, media, and movies. Yes, it is a risk stepping out there, fighting against the system that has been crammed down your throat, and saying enough is enough. The fear that the white man feels is real. They know that once we have awakened and united that retribution is coming. This is why you see the violence against people of color escalating.

Nevertheless, there are more of us than them. They are actually the true minority, not the majority and they are dying out because every time our genes mix with any other race we dominated. If each awakened person of color plants just one seed of knowledge in one other person of color the harvest of black power that will result from this will be astounding. We are greater than they have allowed us to imagine we can be. We have the power, we just need to utilize it. In a speech given by actor and humanitarian Jesse Williams, in June 2016, he spoke of our need to stand up and be heard demand what is rightfully ours. He addressed the naysayers and the blatant abuse of the African Americans and straight out told them to have a seat and shut up. He is just one of several affluent African Americans being part of the solution. This is my seed, now help me nurture its growth.

controversieshumanity
Like

About the Creator

STACEY PATTERSON

Writer, poet who wants to share what bleeds out of my soul onto paper.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.