“Although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle still continues.” — Harry Belafonte, 2010 rally in Washington, D.C.
Racism. This word evokes hair-raising, spine-chilling responses within the black race. It is a cringe-worthy word with negative connotations of cruelty and inequality.
So, what exactly is racism? Here is a clear-cut definition:
Speak this word to any black person, and many disturbing images and traumatizing memories will begin to surface like,
- Brutal beatings
- Lynchings
- Home invasions
- Church bombings
- Segregated busing
- Bathroom access
- Rigid curfews
- Public schools
- Housing
- Swimming pools
- Bathrooms
Black people were subjected to the sudden destruction of their properties to the denial of convenient services that the white race was privileged to have.
For example, if a black person requested service, they were instructed to travel several miles out of the way to a black-owned establishment.
Or, asked to do ridiculous things like pay their bus fare, get off the bus, walk around to the back door to get on the bus, and sit in the colored section, if seats were available. If all the “colored only” seats were occupied, they had to stand for the entirety of their bus trip.
Enslaved black people were controlled by abusive tyrants who viewed them as an economic commodity. They were placed on display to be sized up for the highest bidder, and forced to endure the devastation of being uprooted and separated from their families.
They were harassed, verbally abused, humiliated, and made to feel subhuman. Slaves were beaten unmercifully for non-compliance.
Their self-respect and dignity were diminished. The dehumanization of the black race was in full force, and being treated equally was merely a pipe dream.
Photo by AJ Colores on Unsplash
1. Where’s The Justice?
The country’s patriotic phrase, the Pledge of Allegiance, represents a unified country that provides equality for every citizen:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The phrase, “with liberty and justice for all” has contradicted the discriminatory experiences of black people.
Even following the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, enslaved people still faced some form of prejudice and discrimination.
And, although the 13th Amendment abolished the institution of slavery, the unrelenting, centuries-old transgression of racism is still prevalent and ingrained in the depraved hearts of white supremacists.
Fast-forward centuries later to 2023.
What we’re seeing now is not just a continuation of racism, but also an intensification of the problem, especially from law enforcement.
The public safety they vowed to provide is imperative for our own protection. However, the unethical and corrupted methods they enforce are referred to as police brutality.
This action is a deviant form of violence and racially-based maltreatment committed by traffic officers. It has proven to be an inconsequential form of law and order that usually leads to senseless tragedies.
Why would they commit these acts after promising, under oath, to protect and to serve?”
Joining police academies and integrating into judicial systems makes it easy for them to carry out their premeditated or impulsive racial injustice against black people.
For example, during routine traffic stops, brutality is often carried out by tyrannical police officers who fail to think before reacting.
The defenseless murder victims’ lives are jeopardized if they pose a perceived threat to the traffic officer. The officer then responds violently, using excessive force—even when unprovoked.
They overreact, ignore proper protocol, and fail to de-escalate the problem.
Why does this happen?
Because racists enjoy targeting and tormenting the objects of their fury—the inferior race.
So, just one brief encounter with them can fuel their hate and transform an ordinary routine traffic stop into a pretextual traffic stop.
What’s the difference between these two types of traffic stops?
2. The Cancer of Hatred
So, what drives the racially motivated to commit these cruel, senseless acts of violence and false imprisonment against innocent victims?
And, what is it that fuels their intense rage?
It’s hate.
“Hate is to dislike someone or something very much,” according to an online dictionary source, www.dictionary.cambridge.org.”
What negative effect does hate have on our society?
It destroys like a tornado—leaving behind a path of destruction and traumatized victims. Just like a venomous insect bite; it leaves a lasting sting.
Racism metastasizes like cancer cells— spreading from person to person — generation to generation—and culture to culture.
3. Imagine That Racism Doesn’t Exist
But what if racism never existed in the first place?
Then the savagely beaten victims of police brutality, like Rodney King, Alton Sterling, and George Floyd (to name a few), wouldn’t have never happened.
But because it does exist, it shattered what could’ve been a country known for its impartiality toward its citizens. A nation not merely united by states — but by people with contrasting pigmentation that bleed the same color of red blood.
Will this nation ever emerge from the irreparable damage that brought about racial disparities?
Or have we submerged too deep into a bottomless well of disunity?
Can the racism pandemic be totally eradicated?
But the possibility of that happening depends upon a willingness to make a change.
What kind of change?
A change of heart.
When the hate-filled heart learns to accept others for being different and remove the discriminatory scales from their eyes. Then and only then will they see a person’s humanity, be moved to compassion, and accept them for who they are.
Until then, the problem will worsen and continue to be a sore spot in the souls of marginalized victims who have endured inhumane abuse and extreme psychological torture.
“Racism perpetuates our racial divide and keeps established systems of racial discrimination locked into the fabric of our culture and it will continue to be the bane of the black race’s existence.”
Citation: Shelmire, Charlene. Police Brutality — Racism Against the Marginalized and Forgotten Race: In Observance of Black History Month. 27 September, 2023.
Summary
To further drive my viewpoint home about the link between police brutality and racism, I wrote this poem which expresses my personal sentiment on this subject. Each sentence starts with the bolded word “you”, not only for emphasis, but to represent the enslaved talking to the enslaver.
Free verse poem about racism
You rejected the uniqueness of my skin pigmentation
You stripped my authenticity by oppressing my voice
You beat and bound me with leather whips and chains
You altered my identity and robbed me of my dignity
You obstructed my freedom and ignored all my pleas
You averted humanness but embraced unjust cruelty
It’s time for a change. Let’s strive for it!
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