Monthly Archives: June 2020

I Could Be Next

I never think about racist people because, all my life, in every facet of my life, they were always there. Sometimes overtly but most times covertly, always there. It is impossible for White people to understand living through constantly watching your back, looking over your shoulder all your life, knowing they are always there. Literally. In fact, before I reached my teenage years, it was natural to be forever on guard for the comment, subtle action, where I am always, escape routes, and other things White people never have to consider as a life mechanism for protection.
As a child, as far back as I can remember, I was taught how to act, what to say and not say, around White people. I was especially taught to be on watch for the police and, as a child, I have seen the aggressive actions police have toward Black people. I learned that what a White person does and say is always right and a Black person is considered wrong while doing or saying the same exact thing.
It was drilled into my head many times that as a Black person, applying for a job, would have to know two or three times as much, be much better at, if not perfect, and present a better dress and attitude to even be considered than a White person. I remember my first real job where I did almost everything there was to do on the job except, I could not touch the cash register, I had to wait for a White clerk to receive the payment. I still remember some of the rude remarks made to me or about me when all I was doing was my job, silently. A White person would never bear that nor understand that. To the Black people, I was a big successful person because I was the only Black person working in an all-White store.
While in the military I endured, over and over, many rude comments, missed promotions, uncalled for actions but I made it to retirement. I was told, to my face (after the Bill of Rights was passed), that I could not be in a particular corps of military duty because I was Black, it took me three years to finally make it into the outfit and another four years to be its leader. However, I had to endure many, upon many racist attacks. I constantly watched my back and trusted no one at all.
Upon retiring from the military, I joined the police force and immediately met racism that was everywhere within the force. I have seen racist actions, heard racist comments and endured every type of racism there is. Who could I turn to? What could I do? Who could I trust? No one. If I did or said anything I could be like my cousin, the first Black policeman of the same force years ago, setup and killed.
Yes, I have been around it and have seen it all my life and the marching today are echoes of when I marched in the ‘60s. In my blogs, this one and http://www.faithingodministries.net, I often have said that history repeats itself with the only difference being the date. Blacks have died for thousands of years (it goes back to before the Pyramids) because of racism and it is not over yet. Although I would like to see the end of it all, I won’t hold my breathe. I have lived a full and interesting life and, today, I still watch my back. I am still very, very careful. I could be next. I could be stopped by the police for anything at all. I could be erroneously accused by a White person and be killed for being Black. I am in my 70s and I could be next.

 

Marching Again

A lot have been going on since the death of George Floyd and I want to insert my input. I have witnessed and felt racism all my life, including the present time. So, people have said on television that this have been going on for four hundred years. Yes, in the United States that is true, but this have been going on for thousands of years. Black people, all over the world, have been harassed and killed by White people as far back as written history will show.
Moving to more recent times, I find a correlation between Civil Rights marches and the most recent ones. However, the difference between the two is huge. Foremost are the marches/demonstrations being peaceful and well organized in the era of Civil Rights. I took part in the fight for our Civil Rights and can attest to that fact. In my area of marching we did not walk in a mass, unorganized group, we marched single file on the sidewalk and talking was not allowed. Yet, we were met by police with night sticks, snarling dogs, electric cow prodders and the fire department with fire hoses. We walked from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’, obeying all pedestrian laws and we were beaten, bitten, shocked, tear gassed and hosed down from high pressure hoses. I still have the memories and marks to prove it.
Another huge factor that is evident, is that most of the marchers, then and now, are young people that are leading the way. It is not that older/senior people are simply standing by, hoping this will go away, but most can not endure the walking and survive the outcome they may meet. The older generation can not withstand the gas or beatings.
There is a big difference between yesterday and today. Today, there are factions that want to conjure a sense of unrest. These groups want peaceful demonstrations to look bad for them to say Blacks are wrong and should be beaten and killed every chance that is afforded them. They have their own hateful agenda which is shouted from the White House and is echoed through whichever separatist group will listen and act. These groups jump in and out of the marching crowds causing damage and, at the same time, trying to stay hidden. Those Black people that are looting are taking advantage of this simply because they are at the bottom of the social ladder and is in want. Yes, they are wrong, however, they did not start it either.
There have always been Black and White and, as I have said in my blogs, history repeats itself and always will. It is better today than it was yesterday, it is just the circumstances that have changed. No matter how peaceful Black people are, there will always be White people that stir the pot and cause unrest. Black people try to work with White people although there is that under the table group that is resisting. In case you have forgotten, we had a Black President and an untold number of people vowed to resist everything he was trying to do, no matter if it was good or bad. Even today, the things he accomplished are being dismantled, including nationwide medical care. On many issues, he never had a chance. Oil trying to work with water. I pray for the USA.