As long as I can remember I was taught how to survive in a culture built on hatred, discrimination, and racism in every aspect of life. At a young age, I didn't understand the ongoing family lectures about why communities of people with white skin hated any and everyone who didn't look like them. At the time, I thought that my neighbourhood was amazing. Growing up was a delightful experience seeing everyone who looked like me, my family, and my friends. Each day, our postman, mechanics, delivery people, and even the police were all people of colour who chatted with us, told us jokes, played games, and often helped me with my homework assignments. Each of them was family. Often my mother would prepare a lovely meal for them to take home or invite them in to eat a snack and have a cold drink as they continued with their workday.
Soon, everything started to change. Our extended family of community workers and friends was terminated across the board and replaced with terrified white people too frightened to say 'hello' or have a conversation. None of the new workers would look at us children, say hello, and not take the time to play baseball, jump rope, or engage us in a game of marbles. Being young and naive, I assumed that our great family of workers was on vacation. I later learned the truth. Even today, I am shocked that I survived the horrendous racism and abuse by police officers all over America and many parts of the world. I assumed that everything would be very different and a better world once I grew up. Over the years I continued to search for answers to why people who didn't know me hated anyone in the world that looked like me. I kept hoping for positive changes that never appeared because they teach their children and grandchildren hate and how to be a racist in a country that supports it.
Whenever I watch the daily news or read about what's happening in the world, I start to feel sick. According to the black past, racial violence has been a distinct part of American history since 1660. While that violence has impacted almost every ethnic and racial group in the United States, it has had a particularly horrific effect on African American life. Racial violence ranges from revolts of the enslaved to more recent urban uprisings.
With the discovery of the so-called new world, America has carried a history of violence, past and present. It's a past in which genocide toward Native Americans and the enslavement of Black Americans are uncomfortable truths in the archives of history. It helps me to understand why a racist population is demanding that books in libraries and schools be banned because there is too much truth, instead of fake stories. The racial legacy of such a violent and malicious past has its roots in the ideology of White Supremacy. Racism is a type of prejudice that is used to justify the belief that one racial category is superior or inferior to others. Today, just like yesterday, these are practices used to discriminate against communities of colour, even with fatal outcomes for this population. In all honesty, racial violence is now a fact of America's social reality.
In many countries, but especially in the United States of America, racial violence and brutality by the police that may be affiliated with white supremacists or other hate groups continue to cause harm without being held accountable. The term “police brutality” is sometimes used to refer to various human rights violations by police. This might include beatings, racial abuse, unlawful killings, torture, or indiscriminate use of riot control agents at protests. African Americans, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and the LGBTQIA+ communities continue to be subject to direct acts of hatred and racial violence. In addition, women continue to be victims of gender violence. The Capitol Hill, January 6, 2021, terrorist attack was when white nationalists, following their MAGA (Make America Great Again) leader, went to war against democracy through a violent insurrection. More than 2,000 rioters entered the building with many vandalizing and looting, including the offices of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Congressional representatives.
We are all aware that many police officers have committed murders of people of colour without being held accountable by politicians, corrupt judges, and police chiefs. When a crime is committed against any person of colour, police are usually placed on paid leave for a short time. For me, it's being rewarded with a paid vacation for killing Black people. Then they return to work to continue their violence, brutality, and the murdering of innocent citizens primarily because of their race or ethnicity. On average, police in the United States shoot and kill more than 1,000 people every year, according to an ongoing analysis by The Washington Post. After Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man was murdered in 2014 by police in Ferguson, Missouri, an investigation found that data reported to the FBI on fatal police shootings was undercounted by more than half. In recent years, the gap has widened. By 2021, only a third of department fatal shootings appeared in the FBI database. Why do you think that is? Well, it's because local police departments are not required to report these incidents to the federal government.
Although half of the people shot and killed by police are White, Black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. They account for roughly 14 percent of the U.S. population and are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans. Latinos/Latinx are also killed by police at a disproportionate rate. It makes me sad to know that half of the people shot and killed are between the ages of 20 and 40 years old when they have their entire future in front of them. Do the police care? I doubt if they care at all because it's assumed they are hired to rid the streets of those dangerous people of colour instead of protecting the entire population. The majority of those murdered are males. After struggling to survive six decades while breathing in Black skin I realised that the American system was never created to protect Black people or any other person of colour.
Police violence is the leading cause of death for young men in the United States. Surprisingly, about 1 in every 1,000 Black men can expect to be killed by police. As a Black man, how do you accept the fact that you will probably be murdered by the police? When I sit quietly in a park or walk to do errands, I can still hear my mother's voice reminding me to be careful whenever I leave home. The risk of being killed by police is between the ages of 20 and 35 years old for men, women, and all racial and ethnic groups. However, racism and other forms of discrimination are built into law enforcement and justice systems around the world, especially in America. It often starts with racial profiling and discriminatory police checks, to selective enforcement of drug policies and anti-terror laws, if you fit the script. Throughout my entire life, I have been a victim of racial profiling whenever I would walk into a department store, or a fast-food restaurant, pick up prescriptions, or drive a nice car that is assumed no person of colour could afford. Often when you are Black, regardless if you are 10 or 50 years old and wearing a suit or low-hanging baggy pants, a police will stop you to ask for your identification and conduct a search because you resemble a person who robbed a 7-11 store during the week. Often the person committing the robbery is not even Black, but White, and the store is usually many miles away. These are the type of events that often cause people of colour to suffer from racial trauma every day of their life.
Thanks to the movement of Black Lives Matter (BLM) for making all the police murders transparent. There have been so many killings of unarmed Black men and women over the years that are now etched into my memory. Here are a few names that should never be forgotten:
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old African American man was pulled over for suspected reckless driving on January 7, 2023. Police officers beat, pepper sprayed, and tased Nichols who was taken to the hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, dying three days later on January 10th. A preliminary autopsy found he suffered "extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating. The five officers involved in the incident were fired, as well as two Emergency Medical Technicians. All officers were charged with murder.
Eric Garner was put in a chokehold on July 17, 2014, by Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police officer. A video of Garner restrained by multiple policemen showed him saying, "I can't breathe" eleven times before losing consciousness and dying. The police murderer was free of all charges. Garner's last words became a national slogan of Black Lives Matter. Garner was a 43-year-old African American man.
On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man died after police officer, Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota kept his knee on his neck for nearly 9 minutes while his police co-workers stood by and watched without intervening. He was murdered. Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Other police officers involved in the killing were Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kuent, and Thomas Lane. They were all convicted in both state and federal court on various charges stemming from Floyd's death.
Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old African American man from Hayward, California was shot in the back and killed in the early morning hours of New Year's Day on January 1, 2009, by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officer, Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California. BART officer, Anthony Pirone kneed Grant in the head and forced him to lie face down on the ground. Mehserle drew his pistol and shot Grant. He was murdered.
Demarcus Brodie, a 49-year-old African American man was murdered by Police Officer Dillion Hoke on November 23, 2023, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Hoke shot Brodie in the chest after allegedly having a physical altercation with him during a traffic stop.
Vernard Toney, Jr. and his 12-year-old friend approached an off-duty U.S. Marshal as he sat in his car before his shift on October 28, 2023, in Washington D.C. Toney was a 13-year-old African American boy. They demanded the officer exit his vehicle with one of them holding his hand in his waistband pocket as if he had a gun. The officer exited his car and killed Toney.
In 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio, Tamir Rice was a 12-year-old boy playing with a toy gun in the park. Within two seconds of arriving at the park, Officer Timothy Loehmann fatally shot Rice immediately after arriving at the scene. Police then tackled his 14-year-old sister, Tajai, to the ground, handcuffed her, and put her in the back of the police car. It took four minutes for officers to administer first aid to Rice. He died in the hospital the next day. I just don't understand why police officers armed with a gun, pepper spray, and a Taser would be so afraid of a child playing with a toy gun.
In 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky, Breonna Taylor was asleep in bed with her boyfriend when three plainclothes officers arrived at their apartment to execute a search warrant. They believed it was a break-in and Walker, her boyfriend fired his licensed firearm. Taylor, who was unarmed, was shot eight times. No charges were brought for the murder of Breonna.
Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old African American man in 2020, was walking home from a convenience store in Tacoma, Washington. A police officer, allegedly fearing for his life, slammed the patrol car door into Manuel, knocking him down. Tacoma Police Department officers, Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins tackled and struck Ellis multiple times for no reason. They were charged with second-degree and first-degree manslaughter.
Atatiana Jefferson, a 28-year-old African American woman was murdered in her home in 2019. A police officer shot and killed her through the window of her home in the presence of her eight-year-old nephew. A young child experiencing this tragedy could grow up with racial trauma. The police were responding to a call from a neighbour who reported that Jefferson's front door had been left open. Would you be at home with your front door open? The killer, Officer Aaron Dean resigned. He was later indicted on murder charges.
In 2018 in Sacramento, CA, Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old African American man was standing in his grandmother's backyard. Terrence Mercadal and Jared Robinet, two officers of the Sacramento Police Department killed Stephon for being in his grandmother's yard. Officers said they believed Clark was holding a gun as they shot 20 rounds. The encounter was filmed by police video cameras and a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department helicopter which was involved in observing Clark on the ground. Clark was shot seven times, including three shots to the right side of his back. Stephon was holding a mobile phone that we see people holding every day. The district attorney declined to file criminal charges.
Philando Castile, a 32-year-old African American man was killed in 2016 in Falcon Heights, Minnesota at a traffic stop. Police dashcam video of a traffic stop shows a police officer shooting Castile seconds after he informed him that he had a legal firearm. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was in the car with her four-year-old daughter, captured the aftermath on Facebook Live. Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of second-degree manslaughter.
In 2018, Botham Jean, a 26-year-old African American man was seated on his sofa at home, eating ice cream. Jean was shot by off-duty police officer Amber Guyger in Dallas, Texas after she entered his apartment believing, she said, that it was her apartment, and he was a dangerous intruder. Guyer was found guilty of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison.
In 2021, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old African man was driving with his girlfriend in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota when he was stopped by officers for a traffic violation. The police said they tried to detain him for an outstanding warrant. Police officer Kim Potter shot him as he was trying to get back into his car. The Police Chief said it was an accident that Potter mistook her gun for a taser. Why would a trained police officer make such a mistake that leads to the murder of a young man?
In 2014 while walking with a friend in Ferguson, Missouri, Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African American man was murdered. A white police officer confronted Brown and his friend. A scuffle ensued and the officer, Darren Wilson shot and killed Brown. Officer Brown said that he acted in self-defence as they all have been programmed to say when they kill an African American man or woman. No charges were brought against the police officer.
In 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man was arrested and held in the back of a police van in Baltimore, Maryland. He was found dead 45 minutes later, his spinal cord nearly severed. His hands and feet had been shackled and without a seatbelt, he could not protect himself as he was tossed around the inside of the vehicle, probably on purpose. Six officers were charged in connection with Gray's death. Three of them were acquitted and three others had their cases dropped.
On December 22, 2020, Andre Hill, a 47-year-old African American man emerged from a garage holding a mobile phone in his left hand. Police Officer Adam Coy shot Hill three times in his right leg and once in the chest then handcuffed him. The officer left Andre on the ground for five minutes and 11 seconds until he died. Officer Adams was fired after a hearing was held to determine his employment. Coy was charged with murder, reckless homicide, and felonious assault. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Coy's criminal investigation is still pending. He also didn't activate his body camera.
Alton Sterling, in 2016, a 37-year-old African American man was killed for selling CDs and DVDs outside of a shop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was killed by Officer Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake, the officers who confronted Sterling outside of the shop. Alton was tasered and pinned to the ground before being shot six times. In video footage, Salamoni can be heard threatening to shoot Sterling in the "Fucking Head" and after the shooting repeatedly calling him a stupid motherfucker. The shopkeeper shared that Sterling never caused any trouble as was reported by the police officers. The stories were all false.
Akai Kareem Gurley, a 28-year-old African American man was tragically and senselessly killed in 2014 while walking down the stairwell of his apartment building with his girlfriend in Brooklyn, New York. Police officer Peter Liang and his partner were conducting a "vertical patrol" in a public housing project. Liang entered an unlit staircase and fired his weapon. The bullet bounced off a wall and killed Gurley.
15-year-old Ryan Gainer, a diagnosed autistic, was in the midst of a mental health crisis when his family called for assistance. Within minutes of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arriving at the Gainer home in Apple Valley on Saturday, March 9, 2024, upon their arrival, Ryan was shot to death by a sheriff’s deputy.
The murder of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African American woman who was stopped for not using her turn signal makes me angry to this very day. Sandra was an African American woman doing nothing wrong. When she tried to stand up for herself, the verbal and physical abuse began. A 39-second video clip, released by Dallas-Fort Worth news channel WFAA shows the altercation between Bland and former state trooper Brian Encinia. The video shows the state trooper leaning into Bland's vehicle while taking out his Taser. He yells at her and shouts, "Get out of the car or I will light you up. Get out!" She was arrested and three days later Sandra was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas on July 13, 2015. Officials found her death to be a suicide, although I am sure she was murdered. Encinia was never charged for his crime and was allowed to go free.
The trauma that envelops me each time I hear about another person of colour being murdered by the police in the United States of America, a country that proclaims that everyone is free and equal, is profound and haunting. It's a visceral mix of anguish, anger, and deep sorrow, a reminder of the systemic injustices embedded within our society. Each name etched into this tragic story, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, George Floyd, and so many others echo through the collective consciousness, a clear symbol of a broken system that fails to protect its citizens equally. The weight of this trauma is not just a passing emotion but a relentless ache that highlights the continuous struggle for justice and reform. It underscores the urgent need for change, accountability, and for a society where Black and Brown lives are valued and protected without question or hesitation. Throughout my entire life, I hoped to see a country or even a world where hate and racism didn't exist. Today, I know that I will never see it in my lifetime.
