A Modern Day Picnic

This unsigned editorial is the opinion of the Nubian Message’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief. 

Apparently, it’s open season on Black bodies. Jordan. Rekia. Trayvon. Jonathan. Renisha.

If you believe the justice system, Afrikan-Americans are considered no more human today than 150 years ago. If you didn’t understand that the foundation of this country was built on the institutionalized principles of racism before, perhaps now you’re starting to wake up.

The fact that a jury can find a 47-year-old white man guilty of attempted murder, yet cannot find him guilty of the actual murder that occurred, proves a noose is not needed in order for lynching to take place. The glorification and celebrity-like status that these murderers attain is reminiscent of the lynching postcards that were sent with messages like, “wish you were here.”

For how much longer can we take being treated as threats because our existence scares the majority into having to “stand their ground?” For how much longer will we teach our Black boys that Amerikkka’s perception of them as thugs is their problem to control? For how much longer will we give tacit approval to the murder of our bodies by criminalizing being young, Black and outside?

They wonder why we say Black first and American sometimes.