The Designated Targets

(Via SauLopez/Instagram)

This thought took a little longer than I expected to put into words. Time and time again I wanted to approach this subject matter in a perspective that was both educational and insightful. As we are trained to think on a daily basis we want our thoughts to come off as being politically correct, for the simple reason that we do not want to offend anyone in the process of expressing our feelings. I came to a conclusion that all of those standards and ideologies we are trained to believe as we navigate through this life as being black in America, more specifically a black man, need to go out the window to get my truest feelings across.

The mass majority of people outside of the black community have been vocal about how these past few weeks have been crazy, but fail to realize this is an everyday struggle for black people and that this is only a small glimpse of what it is like being a designated target. What I mean by being a designated target is something that only people who are born into this category can fully comprehend. On June 9th, 2020 I watched a  video of the New York Police union chief state, “ Our legislators abandon us. The press is vilifying us.” When I heard him say this I did not know if I felt a sense of satisfaction for a quick moment, because for once in their life they had a brief moment where they could feel what it was like to be black in America. As they pleaded for the community to understand that they are not the cops in Minneapolis, the irony of their emotions echoed the sentiments of our ancestors for hundreds of years prior. That original feeling that took over my emotions soon left as I came back to reality, and realized how I would not wish our daily trials and tribulations upon anyone.

(Photo by Todd Maisel)

Their press conference continued as members of their union expressed their feelings towards the events that have built up. As I listened to what they had to say I wanted to yell at the television and scream “But you have a choice, and we don’t!” At any moment in time a police officer has the ability to take off that uniform, their badge, and the target on their back will be no more. A black person does not have that luxury to walk out of their skin, or wake up and simply make the choice to say “ I don’t want to be black anymore”, it’s a forever thing. 

Television personality Emmanuel Acho sat with actor Matthew McConaughey for his segment titled “Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man” on June 9th. In this segment Emmanuel allows people to ask him anything in hopes to educate them on the black community. After their conversation Matthew McConaughey ended the segment with a quote from Langston Hughes. It went like this:

 “ O, let America be America again—

The land that never has been yet—

And yet must be—the land where every man is free.”

( Photo by Myles Matthews)

Ahmaud Aubery did not need to be hunted for sport in front of millions. Breonna Taylor did not need to be gunned down as she slept peacefully in the comfort of her own home. George Floyd did not need to be executed by the ones that took an oath to serve and protect us. Ending police brutality, racism, and systematic oppression should not be a debate. The fact that it is in someone’s heart to debate shows us that we are far from where our country dreams of being. The repetition of our blues, and the melody of our cries has become a song we are all too familiar with. It does not have to be this way, but it seems that the oppressors love to play this song on repeat, and we are tired of it. Now is not the time to be satisfied with the recent progress we’ve made. The protests and everyday battles behind closed doors need to continue so our children and their children can have a different tune to their life.

Report: Myles Matthews, Senior Culture and Entertainment Editor

Black Lives Matter

James Baldwin once said, “To be a negro in this country is really never to be looked at.” The recent murders of numerous black men have sparked protests all around the country. The leading cause is the murder of the innocent man George Floyd in which it was caught on video of a police officer kneeling on his neck for a total of 8 minutes until he died. This all took place with three other officers present. Along with George Floyd, the past few weeks have been traumatizing for the black people in America. We have lost Sean Reed, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor all in a span of one to two weeks. There might even be more that we know nothing about. Black people have had ENOUGH.

Through this hard time, the question is why them? Is it because they are so strong, so innovative, so smart? Is it because despite anything you throw at them, they still rise to greatness? Is it because even when all odds are systematically rigged against them, they STILL find a way to prevail? Many black people feel as though the appropriation of their culture is done every day, yet their lives are unimportant to the average white police officer. The Black Lives Matter movement is a call to action.

This has happened before and if there was no video, there would barely be a case for many of these young black men. How many black men had no video? Why does there even need to be a video for the wrongfulness of these officers to be taken care of? The past few days have been historic due to the riots in Minneapolis, Washington D.C, Atlanta, and even New York City. The Black Lives Matter movement is a great cause to bring light to situations and fight for justice. Black people must be heard.

Report: Soila M Douce

Targeted

During a time when you didn’t think it can’t get any worse than the Coronavirus, we are thrown a reminder that racism is still very much alive.

It has come to a point that black people can’t do daily hobbies and activities regularly without it costing their life because we fit the description. Once we fit the profile, its nothing but shoot first ask questions later. When will it end?

Ahmaud Arbery and his loved ones are asking the same question. Arbery didn’t think he would end up one of the many names of black people shot and killed for living their lives while fitting the description.

There’s always a depiction of black people that is negative within any community. Usually, it’s that their gangbangers or drug dealers. The ones that become successful have to work twice as hard to prove they aren’t the negative stereotypes that they’ll always be labeled regardless because of where they come from.

Arbery was a young black man unarmed out for a jog when the father-son duo Gregory and Travis Michael noticed Arbery and immediately pursued him as the person responsible for a recent string of burglaries in the neighborhood.

As any right-minded person would, Arbery tried to fight off his assailants with his own self-defense and this resulted in his death.

For so many years the laws in the Southern United States have been against African Americans with a lengthy list of black killings as proof. The laws continue to allow average caucasian citizens to take it upon themselves to decide who is a criminal.

If its not bad enough that the Coronavirus is killing thousands of people daily, black people are still dying just for being black.

From Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, to Michael Brown and so many more and now Ahmaud Arbery.

The real question is when will black lives actually matter?

To be black in America is to be a target in America.

Report: Josephine Coiscou

Lakeith Stanfield Goes Running for Ahmaud Arbery

Lakeith Stanfield wants to spread awareness, but not with his film work or new music. He wants to shed light to the recent events of Ahmaud Arbery. Videos of Abery’s murder took over the internet and people demanded for justice on social media. In his recent music video, Birds”, he jogs through his neighborhood to raise awareness to Arbery’s tragedy.

He hopes there’s justice that takes place in society. He said, “I'm just hoping that there's some kind of justice that takes place. I'm just hoping that the community and everybody's voices make it aware to the world, I don't stand for this type of situation happening and it just going unseen, unheard. Things like this, there needs to be justice brought upon people whether or not you're intertwined in the justice system or not. Something like this would appear to be pure bigotry, and they need to be accountable for it. So I think everybody should show up, let their voice be heard and show them that this is important. So, I want to just bring more awareness to it. I'm tired of seeing images on the timeline of people getting their head blown off in front of everybody. We got a choice, and we're going to make our voices be heard. Sign that petition, get out there, and let people know you're not going to stand for it.”

Aside from his political undertones in the video, he talked about the themes behind creating the song, “Birds”. He said, “You can hear it throughout the verses it's all critiques of capitalism and the way we consume, and how birds might represent women, they might represent your relationship to women, and privileged nature of some interpersonal relationships, or it could represent money and commerce and the way that we wheel and deal and engage in the exchange of money and what it means and the worth of it all at the end of the day. And the hustle, the hustle and bustle of the American economy now, that's the main thing. It's going there in the next part, like going and pushing off the next thing to get more money”.

Report: Amanda Lou