The Demise of Home Sweet Home
African Americans are no longer safe in their homes from Police Violence.
Most Americans feel safe in their homes.
I reside on a reasonably quiet street in Illinois. I’ve owned my home for over a decade. It’s the place I return to for the embracing warmth of love. If I didn’t have this place to return to I would go insane
It’s safe to assume you feel the same way. After an exhausting day of fighting to make a living, you look forward to opening the door to your home. The location where you kids, partner, and possible pets are waiting to greet you. In a perfect world, you can relax and lay your burdens on the doorstep.
Your residence is a place of safety and comfort. You can speak freely at the kitchen table or in the living room about how much of a jerk your boss is without fear of trepidation. At home, you can be you and love freely.
Home is where you share tears and raise kids. Home is where you put your feet up and eat a good meal cooked with your own hands.
Our homes are an extension of us. We decorate it with our styles. As soon as you walk into most homes, a person’s unique personality is on display. It’s our canvas, and we can paint it any way we see fit.
When we place our heads on the pillow, we do so without fear. We can dream in peace. Our kids are tucked safely in their beds, and we are confident we will see them tomorrow to begin a new day. We lay next to our loved one and have pillow talk in the warm comforts of our bedroom with no trepidation.
It’s our castle, and we sit in our backyards and eat burgers and drink beer without a care in the universe. We are safe and consider our little plot of dirt safe from the wilds outside our four walls.
It’s horrific to think that African Americans are not afforded the same protection in their homes, but in light of recent events, it’s becoming clear we are safe nowhere.
A death sentence served at home.
I refuse to rehash the statistics of how many unarmed African Americans are shot by the police. I am frankly tired of stating the same facts. I’ve written about it often, and if you want to know more, please read the story below.
In a year, two African Americans have died at the hands of police in their own homes.
When has welfare checks become dangerous to African Americans? She was enjoying a quiet evening at home playing videogames with her nephew. I’ve done the same in the basement of my home numerous times with my oldest son. My family and I played Nintendo Wii for hours with no fear of cops harming us.
I know there are good police officers. They go to work daily and serve and protect with fidelity. However, the history of police brutality against minorities is well documented. In 2012 Blacks accounted for 31 percent of the fatal police shootings while making up only 13 percent of the population. I stated I wasn’t going to reference numbers, but I want you to marinate on the above fact.
Each time an incident like this happens, the African American community wonders collectively will the officer see justice. Most of the time, they don’t. The officer who shot Laquan Mcdonald received six years for what amounted to a street execution. Furthermore, Amber Guyger received ten years and may only have to serve five after gunning down Botham Jean in his apartment.
There is no real justice for African American lives. Our lives will continue to be undervalued, and until whites dismantle institutional racism and offer tangible equity, nothing will change. Thanks for reading. Peace.
Estacious(Charles White) is a 23-year educator. He began writing over 25 years ago. His work experience encompasses managing schools and teaching a variety of subjects. His passions are poetry, short fiction, playwrighting, and non-fiction. He won one of six prizes in the Rockford play festival for his play “Incarcerated Christmas”. He is married with three children and a native of New Orleans.
Another post from the Afro Scribe: