Tuesday, June 9, 2020

How do we overcome


It’s been almost two years since my last blog.  I haven’t had the time or patience to write—however, this time, I had to make an omission.  Maybe I will make an exception and blog at least once a week.  In our present society, there is no rest for the weary.  Whenever I awake, there is something new occurring.  The world is beginning to weigh heavily on my heart, mind, and spirit. It enables me to communicate with my peers.


I remember over thirty-five years ago when I heard the songs in school, “We shall overcome.”  It seems to me that it hasn’t occurred as of yet.  I would often hear people at church praying and thanking their Jesus for a better day – church members singing peace be still.  Peace has not yet come.  When will we stop yearning and dreaming about change?  What are we to do now?  How are we going to get back to the normal that we never had?  Never.  There is no justice and no peace.

          
As I periodically watch the news to hear the latest update on COVID-19, low and behold, I hear about the death of a young woman – shot in her apartment while she was asleep.  Next, I hear of a young man, gun downed by two people who call themselves protecting the neighborhood.  Okay. I’m feeling agitated now.  The next horrific incident I see is a man choked to death, begging for his life.  The agony lasted for eight minutes and forty-six seconds.  That is the time I will not ever forget.  Eight forty-six plays over and over in my mind.   By the way, I could only watch that video one time.  I could not endure to see it again.


After the death of this man, I now see protesters marching for justice – all across the globe. There have been countless times when I’ve heard of some black person shot to death either through by police or some ordinary fool that states he is standing his ground.  I’ve lived as a recluse before the pandemic and these senseless murders.  Now the question presents itself as to what are we going to do?  What should we do?  Is protesting enough?  Of course not.  It will not ever be.  Will black people ever be respected?  Never and black people need to get it in their heads that they need to come together and make decisions.  


Right before the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr passed on, he realized that he led his people into an alley that they will not surpass. MLK realized there is one key ingredient to making this world better for black people and people of color, but we need to be steadfast and stick together.  Is it violence? Not necessarily so, but it will require sacrifice. It is time for blackout days. That is the sacrifice.  If we are not willing to make that sacrifice, these bullets will continue to hit us daily.

                                                                       
                                                             Think about it