Freddie Gray Part III- Let's straight talk America....
Now, that the Baltimore riots of 2015 have subsided and protesters are now demonstrating using a quieter approach, it is my concern that we (African Americans) will lose relevancy and fade to the backburner, if you will, in the minds of this country as we return to business as usual. A message was written in graffiti in one of the high-traffic areas after the initial riot, stating: “had there been no yesterday, today would not matter”. This speaks volumes to the fact that it’s not until we do something extreme, such as burn down a CVS, that our voices become heard. These problems of racism through segregation of neighborhoods, police brutality, joblessness and an overpopulated criminal justice system filled with Black males, has been a problem for America since its inception and has only changed faces since the initial days of slavery. Baltimore and many other urban cities throughout America have been burning for a long time before the death of Freddie Gray.
Two months later now, as I peruse the TV for the latest events pertaining to Baltimore, I am not at all shocked by the fact that I can’t find around the clock media coverage in the same manner that I had in the initial days of rioting. I assume this to be true because oftentimes, this is the case with matters pertaining to the Black community; they are swept under the rug. Sure, the news has to get back to covering other major/minor issues globally, but we are already on a path towards forgetting {out of sight out of mind}. But then again, this case should be different, as we are seeing a prosecutor who truly and personally represents the people of Baltimore. Noteworthy though, it will be up to twelve citizens, a judge and two teams of lawyers who will be trying this case in the end.
Many times, as a Black person in America, it appears that things are swayed in a way suggesting that African Americans still aren’t wholly accepted here. Supporting this statement for one, are the astounding numbers of African Americans who are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. “Although African-Americans constitute only 12 percent of America's population, they represent 40 percent of the nation's prison inmates.” (Tonn, 2014). This is in stark contrast to White Americans who represent a near equal in the criminal justice system at 40%, while representing 60% of the total American population. With this knowledge, one might assume the explanation for this disparity is that Blacks engage in more criminal acts and therefore are more crimilalistic, but I challenge you to be a free- thinker. We live in a great country, but lest we forget, slavery is not very far removed from the mindset of many Americans.
It is my belief that State Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby will play impartially, and won’t bias her decisions towards those beneficial to the Black race, alone. This time, with a person of such high influence over a case affecting the Black race, she won’t be able to overlook the plight in which we experience, because she too faces the same. It is my belief that Baltimore City State Prosecutor Mosby will hold ALL sides accountable for their part, if any in the death of Freddie Gray.
