To the Mother Who Isn’t Outraged: Where is your Humanity? #BlackLivesMatter
I’m almost speechless. I don’t know what is happening in this country. It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts. What bothers me the most is how people (usually people with privilege who can’t see, or won’t see) refuse to see what is happening.
There is no universe in which what happened to Philando Castile and Alton Sterling is OK.
There is no universe in which it is OK to not be outraged over what is happening.
There is no universe in which it is OK to say “If they had listened to authorities they wouldn’t have died.” or, “That happened because they didn’t respect the authorities.”
There is no universe in which a mother should have to worry about her loved ones never coming home simply for existing. And that is exactly what Black mothers and mothers of black children are feeling. My friends who are raising black boys don’t only worry about sleep issues, potty training, bullying… they worry about what the world is going to do to their black children, their husbands, fathers, brothers, who are being stopped and frisked, being arrested without cause, or being shot, or never coming home.
And to those moms I want to say, I am sorry. I am sorry you have to go through this. I am sorry that in 2016 this is happening. I am sorry that you fear for the lives of your loved ones simply because of the color of their skin.
To those moms who see what is happening and aren’t outraged… shame on you. You lack humanity. Yes, I’m saying it. How can you not feel for a mother who loses her child in such a horrific way? How do you not feel for the girlfriend who sees her boyfriend gunned down? How do you not feel for that poor little girl who witnesses her father get shot and killed before her very own eyes.
Do you not see yourselves in those mothers? Do you not see your kids in those kids? Do you not see your husbands in those husbands?
Is it because you don’t know any Black moms? Do you not know any mothers of Black kids?
Well, I’d like to introduce you to some moms. Moms who are hurting. Moms, who like you, only want the best for their kids. Moms who unlike you, have to worry about their loved ones being hurt on a daily basis. And I’m not talking about tripping and falling hurt. I’m talking about not seeing their husbands and kids come home, that kinda hurt.
Vanessa Bell, mom to two beautiful biracial children, shares her thoughts “The chaos is terrifying, but your silence is what’s killing my soul.”
The world’s biggest horrors have happened because others didn’t speak up. We must speak up.
Say something. Use your voice.
To the mother that isn’t outraged: Read their words, and put yourselves in their shoes. Feel their pain. Imagine if it was your child/father/husband/brother/uncle that was being harassed on a daily basis. Imagine if every day your husband went out you were afraid he wasn’t going to make it home. Close your eyes and imagine what happened to Philando Castile, but imagine the family in that car as a family that looked like yours.
Photo credit: Unsplash.com/Benji Aird
2 Comments
Leave a Response
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I can feel the pain of these mothers. All around the world the hatred and misunderstandings are increasing. It is colour, religion, nationality and a hundred other things we are dividing the human race on. And I fear for our kids and their future. I pray we all find peace
I love you, lady. Thank you for always being a champion for justice and fairness. Today, this week and everyday, you are there doing the work. Thank you. xoxox