My fellow white people, let’s perform a thought experiment, shall we?
Imagine: A video is released of an unarmed white man taken into custody for a non-violent crime who is lying on the ground, subdued by a black police officer who is placing his knee into the white man’s neck.
We hear the subdued, unarmed white man on the ground struggling for breath, begging through strained breath the black officer for minutes to take the pressure off before falling unconscious.
The white man loses his life; the black police officer only loses his job.
Would you not rage? Would you not stand in righteous defiance of a system that clearly failed to bring justice for someone who died in the custody of those who are supposed to protect us? Would you not cry out, make your voice heard, and exercise your right to assemble?
Of course you would; but that isn’t what happened.
George Floyd was an unarmed black man; Derek Chauvin was a white police officer. This was only the latest example of a problem inherent in our society that we are all too aware of; but while many white voices joined in solidarity to call for justice, many of us did not. Continue reading “My Fellow White People”