The Afterlife of Slavery

The fight for freedom has lasted centuries and still remains prevalent as ever. Will we ever see the day of justice?…

Protests. Rallies. Riots.

Just another normal day in the United States. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread to all corners of the world, we seem to live in constant threat for our lives. In the midst of this, another underlying disease has been brought into the spotlight, one that has been consuming people of colour for centuries.

The coronavirus may not discriminate in its choice of who lives and dies, but the institutions of this nation have been using that power to control the fate of African-Americans.

Now, the voices that have been silenced for so long are breaking out of quarantine and marching into the streets once again in solidarity against the authority of this nation who are sworn to “serve and protect”. The police forces, who have tormented many innocent black individuals behind the public eye, can no longer hide their crimes against humanity.

White Supremacy

Over the past few years, acts of white supremacy have been on full display as they make their rounds across social media. We’ve seen police officers being criminally charged, people being fired from their jobs for racist behaviour, and white nationalists being prosecuted. This feels like some progress.

But even though we live in a modern era where people of colour are no longer enslaved, white supremacy is still alive and has adapted to the times. We may not see the white hoods and burning torches, but the underlying anti-Black sentiment remains deeply rooted.

So, what does white supremacy look like nowadays? Well, it appears in different forms; non-black people saying the n-word, calling the police for safety, or shooting unarmed black men in the streets or in their homes. Sometimes, it shows up in more subtle ways — like colorism, nicknaming people of colour instead of trying to pronounce their names, or crossing the street when they see a group of black men in front of them.

White supremacy constantly haunts Black people in America. We feel it riddling our bodies and minds, it terrifies us, and it prevents us from truly embracing our greatness. The trauma of hatred and suffering still lives within us to this day.

If the belief that white people are superior to BIPOC continues to stand in our society, we cannot create honest, meaningful, and equal relationships with each other.

My Early Life

I was born and raised in Kenya, surrounded by millions of people just like me. But after decades of colonialism, the trauma of foreign rule has created a culture that perceives whiteness as a symbol of class and status, forming a deep desire and admiration for people with lighter skin. Consequentially, darker-skinned people are ridiculed, and this contempt for darkness manifests itself into anti-black discrimination.

Growing up, I was surrounded by black friends who would casually comment on the appearance and character of other black people in a way that reflected those anti-black beliefs; darker skin, talking improper English and so on. I knew their comments were not harmful in intent, but the underlying disrespect and dehumanization of their kind resemble the painful truths that exist in our world today.

I sat through many of these jokes and never once realized the harm they do. My silence only made me complicit in what is described as “self-hate”. I know better now; I must raise my voice and stand against these beliefs.

When I started learning about racism and the misfortunes many black people face around the world, I started to question my own beliefs and values. From then on, my whole mentality changed.

Now, I choose to view the shortcomings of people who perpetuate racism against black people not as hatred and hostility, but as ignorance and unawareness of what the fight for racial equality is.

The Protests

It’s been over a year now since the untimely, horrific death of George Floyd. His murder was a massive game-changer in the ongoing conflict between the black community and the police. Floyd’s last words, “I can’t breathe”, sparked immense grief and outrage around the nation, which reignited the Black Lives Matter movement once again.

Protests sprung up not just in the US, but internationally as well. For the first time, I saw more white protesters than black, which means that they are finally recognizing and acting against the systematic oppression of people of colour.

The events from this past year made me realize how powerful society can be if they are united in the name of justice. Even though we’ve had this protest countless times before, this year was certainly different. The call for change was louder and more powerful than ever, resonating throughout the entire world, and being heard by all.

Despite this, some people still haven’t listened. A few outbreaks of riots and crime in cities around the United States caused widespread controversy, leading many people to pick sides. Some attempts were made by the right wing to label BLM a terrorist organization, and the President then, Donald Trump, referred to them as “thugs”, “terrorists”, and “anarchists”, completely ignoring the larger peaceful protests.

Police officers and soldiers came out firing rubber bullets, tear gas and flash grenades directly into crowds of protestors as they were ordered to “keep the peace”. In doing so, many were left suffocating and critically injured in the wake of this violence. Additionally, the FBI created a secret program designed to infiltrate and dismantle every black civil rights movement and student organization. Not to mention that no program was ever made to infiltrate white supremacy groups.

All this pushback comes from a place of fear. A fear that this movement will bring an inevitable change that dismantles the traditional structures of white America.

The BLM movement has grown tremendously this past year, but clearly, it still faces the propaganda designed to condemn it and keep it down.

Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter movement may have started in 2013 as little more than a hashtag, but over time it has become a beacon of hope. In less than a decade, it has connected all the silenced black voices from all over the world who share the desire for justice to act together.

Ever since the first civil rights protest in 1917, black men and women have stepped up to spark a positive change away from anti-black ideologies that dictate the lives of the black community. From the likes of Maya Angelou, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr, to our present generation’s leading activists like Shaun King, Kendrick Lamar, and Colin Kaepernick. They are all prime examples who’ve shown us that we need to be active, aware, and vocal now more than ever.

You’ve probably heard “All Lives Matter” come up as it has often been thrown out in response to “Black Lives Matter”. While no one can deny that all lives should be valued, it ignores and dismisses the fact that black lives have traditionally been undervalued.

To all non-black people reading this, you must recognize your biases, call out your friends and family, and hold them accountable for their words and actions. You must be willing to listen and learn about the experiences that black people face and help amplify their voices. To be aware of racism and do nothing about it is to be complicit with racism.

BLM is your fight too. Fight against every racial joke or slur, every anxious stare when a black person enters a store, every ‘Karen’ that intrudes on their business and calls the police for her safety. It is our fight against the systemic oppression of every single marginalized community.

The Future

In the end, we must create a world where no one — black, white, brown, Muslim, Jewish, or Christian, will ever face the same fate that George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the many other victims of oppression have faced.

We can change the narrative so that our children grow up in an intercultural world free from the beliefs of racism and prejudices against each other. Together, we can rewrite not just America’s history, but world history as well. Only then will we have freedom and equality for black people and, by extension, all people for future generations.

This movement goes far beyond two races. It is now bigger than any labels formed that try to denounce it, and justice will be brought to the ones who have been dreaming of it. This is only the beginning, and millions more will fight along with their brothers and sisters until the war for freedom is won.

The revolution is here, and it will be televised.

I stand with BLM, do you?