It’s (Been) Time to End the Senseless Killings

In 2019, 235 Black individuals were shot to death by police in the United States of America. It is even more disheartening to learn that most of those individuals were killed while unarmed. It is 2020 and the skin pigmentation of Black people is still identified as “threatening.” To make matters worse, Black men between the ages of 15 and 34 are nine to 16 times more likely to be killed by police than any other race.

Many people have argued that society needs to learn to “not see color,” but that is actually counterproductive. When people neglect to see the color of someone’s skin, they are diminishing part of that person’s identity. All races have a history and culture, and it is crucial that we acknowledge that.

The killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor highlight that as a Black person, you can do absolutely nothing wrong and still have your life taken from you. George Floyd’s death illustrates that there is a serious lack of consideration for the wellbeing of Black people in America. Police brutality is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed, but alas, this is nothing new.

Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on Christian Cooper, a Black man, after declining his request to place a leash on her dog as required by law. Instead of walking away, Amy called 911, pretending to be frantic, telling them she was being threatened by a Black man. Christian’s video proves there were no threats and she was never in harm. However, Amy clearly wanted Christian to be harmed. She used her privilege as a white woman to try and provoke harm onto a Black man. Without video evidence, it would have been her word against his, and things could have been much worse.

Enough is enough. No one should fear walking down the street, thinking that someone will feel threatened by their skin color. Black children, especially boys, should not have to be taught how to survive growing up as a Black individual in the United States of America. Black people need justice and a sense of security.