The Issue of Colour

There was a time I didn't like being black. Perhaps it had something to do with the incessant bullying I encountered on a daily basis. Or maybe it was a product of not knowing enough black history. But I definitely thought being black was detrimental to my existence. I distinctly recall discussing the issue of being black with a Ghanaian school mate way before the days of multiple TV channels and mobile phones. It was simple - I hated being black, I would NEVER have a black girlfriend (heaven forbid), and I really wished I were white. I mean, the whites seemed to be blessed and highly favoured amongst all men. But I am thankful that the experiences of bygone days have made me proud, strong and confident in my blackness.

Instead, I am now having to cry for the potential loss of freedom in the childhood of our offspring. I'm constrained to wail that we are backtracking on progress. When a black child has to tell his mother he wishes he were white, it sadly reminds me of my childhood. But this happened in the present. A child is sad that she's prevented from being "mother" in some playground revelry because of the colour of her skin - not in the 1970s, but in 2016. When statisticians tell us that black children are most likely to grow up with absentee fathers, how is it that our law enforcement is responsible for numerous orphans and widows? The education of children should include the freedom to express oneself and play with abandon. We want to tell our children that the police uniform is a beacon of safety. The flashing lights of the "blues and twos" should allay all fear of the here and now. Alas, our children are watching the news and asking whether the police will kill them too. It's even more worrying that this is now a cross-border phenomenon. America has sneezed - the world is catching the flu.

How is it that, in the 21st Century, being black is such a negative thing? How did Alton Sterling end up dead on the floor whilst being restrained by two law enforcement officers? How did Philando Castile, a man reaching for the credentials asked of him by the police, end up dead in his car whilst his fiancée and child were left to watch the sudden and violent demise of their most loved family member? Somebody needs to explain the "death in police custody" stats. Over 1500 people have been killed by police in the last two years. Of those deaths, 30% have been black people. Yet the black population of the WHOLE of America is only 13%. More importantly, it's becoming frightening how many blacks killed by police were either in retreat or restrained at the time of death.

I'm sad for America. Heartbroken for the parents, siblings and offspring of each and every black person who has been so savagely halted in the throes of achieving their dreams - no matter how big or small. My heart wails for every one of the hopefully well-meaning police officers who were killed in Dallas in a desperate cry for justice. In truth, it's terrible news all round for America. But here's the thing: If you boil water or heat gas in a confined space, with no escape for the resultant building pressure, something eventually has to give. Two black men gunned down, from defenceless positions, in the same number of days. No less than four law enforcement personnel involved in a senseless and avoidable loss of life. I don't, in any way, condone or support the catastrophic violence that followed in Dallas. However, this was a powder keg just waiting to ignite. Sadly, violence begets violence when the wheels of justice cease to turn. As POTUS said, these are not isolated incidents.

I'm reminded of past proponents of equality, champions of a life less volatile. Malcolm X warned us of the days where the media would vilify the oppressed and praise the oppressor. And yet his rallying cry was for wholesale truth and justice.

This can not, and must not, be the sadness that we sleep on each day. We cannot allow this to be the legacy of the generations coming behind us. The world expects better of America. Americans demand better. It saddens me that this is the daily narrative in the "Land of the Free".

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"I mourn the loss of thousands of previous lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that". - Martin Luther King, Jr.