Although at that moment, I felt a sense of contentment and solidarity towards the family of George Floyd, something deeper lingered in my mind and hung above my head; the deep-rooted systemic racism embedded in American society and how on earth I would unearth that conversation with my son someday. 

Four months ago, I birthed a son, and while his birth was a life changing experience for me, it was also bittersweet. My son can barely talk now, and he doesn’t know the consequences of his skin color. Still, I am acutely aware that someday, somewhere, as long as there is life in me, I will have to have the difficult conversations with him about the ramifications of wearing a hoodie at night in a suburban neighborhood as a Black man or driving a car that attracts the attention of the police and to say that I fear for that day is an understatement. On the other hand, to pretend that these dangers do not exist in the world would rob him of the right to know of this evil condition in the world called racism.

As a Black mother, I am acutely aware that society demands me to be strong all the time, to take things in stride, and always walk a fine line between remaining composed in the face of racial terrorism and living in an America that has been so wicked to Black lives. If George Floyd’s mother was still alive today, I could not begin to fathom the blinding pain that would shoot through her heart upon having to endure the unjust killing of her son, a son she nurtured and loved a son with whom she was so close. As a mother, I get it.

As I type this, the picture of Emmett Till’s mother crying over his casket plagues my mind and is another bitter reminder of the dangerous poison that is racism. My heart also breaks for the mothers of the Alton Sterlings, Daunte Wrights, Trayvon Martins, and thousands of other Black men and people who have lost their lives in the crossfires of systemic racism and police brutality. No mother should have to explain to their son why thousands of boys that look like him are shot at and killed, year in, year out. Yet, Black mothers across the US consistently bear the brunt of this painful reality. 

I am certain that the hashtag #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd will live on in Cyberspace. When the day comes for me to explain to my son the injustices that have been leveled against Black men for years, I will broach the topic with honesty, grit, and fortitude. Although I wish that I could protect him from the perils of this world, the truth is that I cannot, and that is why Black mothers like me need to recognize that we are faced with a precarious situation: raising Black boys who will thrive in a society that has all of the odds stacked against them. Some day, when my son is older and wiser, I will tell him about George Floyd and his trial, not to scare him or harden his heart, but to make him acutely aware of what it means to be a Black man in America because ignorance is deadly. Being a mother to a Black man in America carries a special type of terror. As I write this article, I am mulling over the many different ways that I will talk to my son about his roots, heritage, and future. For the umpteenth time, I have decided that I will use my words to buttress him against the hate that exists in the world for people that look like him, and above all, I will encourage him to remain his authentic, true Black self.

The post I have a Black son: Here is how I will explain the George Floyd verdict to him someday appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

“I know a lot of cats who were wronged by our justice system and got locked up till today for it,” said Thomas, 41 of Grand Rapids, Michigan and a barber at Jay’s Den. “We hear about the George Floyds and the Jake Blakes on the news who were victims of a flawed justice system, but there are also many other brothers out there whose lives and freedom got taken away for crimes that they did not commit, or whose crime did not warrant the punishment they got. It’s crazy. We gotta vote like our lives depend on it to change that. I know I will.”

For many Black male voters, the upcoming election feels like a life or death issue. With police brutality, unemployment raging under the pandemic, racism and domestic terrorism on the rise, Black men are disproportionally affected. 

“The Black vote is super important,” said Thomas.  “It changes the whole narrative. Our forefathers died and risked their lives so that we could have these rights, and we have to show them that we don’t take it for granted.” 

Byron Brooks, 25, an activist, social entrepreneur and student at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan,

Byron Brooks believes that Black America needs to put politicians in office who will stand for social equity. Photo courtesy of Byron Brooks.

said  that this upcoming election differs starkly from the rest because of the spotlight on racial  injustice.

“One thing that stands out about this election is that we are now in an era where people are bolder in their ideologies of racism,” he said. “With the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others, we need to put people in office who will stand for social equity.” 

Darren Davis, a Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame University and an expert in political behavior and racial politics, believes that the security and safety of the Black man are at stake because of how President Donald Trump has handled the Black Lives Matter movement.

Darren Davis, a Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame University and an expert in Political behavior and racial politics, believes that the security and safety of the Black man are at stake in the upcoming election. October 24, 2020. Photo Courtesy of Darren Davis.

“People are encouraged to be punitive and to fear AfricanAmerican men because of the rhetoric that President Trump puts out there,” said Davis. “That has been very clear from the beginning.”

African-American men have been one of the main targets of police brutality. According to research carried out by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Black men are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by the police in their lifetime compared to their white counterparts. 

“To personalize it a bit, I am fearful, and I have friends who are fearful because of the way the current president has endorsed the police,” Davis said. “The big dog whistle in his discourse is his endorsement of the police.” 

According to recent polling by the Democracy Fund, 83 percent of potential Black voters favored former Vice President Joe Biden. In comparison, 10 percent favored President Trump, and 8 percent said they were unsure of who they would pick as their presidential candidate. 

Although a significant portion of Black voters gravitate towards the Democratic party, there are still influential Black men who are rooting for the Republican party. Rappers like 50 Cent and Ice Cube recently attracted a lot of media attention with their support  of President Trump, seemingly highlighting a small faction of Black conservative male voters.  

Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan. https://t.co/xFIXXpOs8B

— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020

👀you see that, I post something on IG while watching the News and I end up on the front page of the paper.🤦‍♂️hey get the app STARZ. pic.twitter.com/oFQAkEjxXy

— 50cent (@50cent) October 21, 2020

Roland Martin, a journalist and News One commentator, believes  the Democratic Party is  overlooking the Black male vote.

Hey @JoeBiden @KamalaHarris. Y’all better pay more attention to Black men! I’ve gotten a dozen calls in the last 48 hours about the lack of attention on Black males. These brothers from all walks of life have hit me. The disconnect is REAL. 1/2

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) October 7, 2020

Armani Madison, 26, a Harvard Law School student and Editor in Chief at the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Review,  believes the Black male vote is complex and driven by a variety of issues.

 “Issues like policing, mass incarceration, funding for education, social programs, and issues impacting low-income urban environments come to mind,” said Madison.”I also think about undocumented Black immigrants and how my vote will affect them. The stakes are higher than they have ever been before. Now that we have seen the policy effects of Trump in office, it puts urgency in people’s minds about the election.”

Arturo Puckerin, an executive director of the Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership (MOCAP), and a politician, said that he agrees with a vast range of Trump initiatives, and will be voting for him in the upcoming election. Photo courtesy of Arturo Puckerin.

Although the numbers may show that a large majority of the Black vote goes to the Democratic Party, there are exceptions.

Arturo Puckerin, 37, a politician, president, and executive director of Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership (MOCAP) in Muskegon, Michigan, is a member of the Republican Party and believes that the Trump administration is doing an excellent job.

“I voted for Trump in 2016, and I will vote for him again this year,” said Puckerin. “Yes, he can be a little racist, but at least you know that he is looking out for the interest of the people. He goes in and does his job.” I like what he [Trump] has done so far.”

In what seems to be one of the most high stakes elections in recent history, Black voting is on the rise. 

 “It is a proportional increase because there has been a general uptick in voting across the city,” said Joel Hondorp, Grand Rapids Michigan City Clerk, “However,  I have observed that people in the Black community are  spreading more information in their communities about voting and are very keen on getting members of their demographic to vote. That’s a good thing. Voting is power. If you’re not voting as a bloc, you are giving up a lot of your political power.”

The post Race and social justice fuel some black men to vote appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Vince Vance, 26, a humanities teacher in Manhattan, finds it difficult to be inundated with images and stories of men that look like him dying at the hands of police. 

Vince Vance, 26, identifies as a progressive socialist and sees capitalism as a major barrier to achieving racial justice. Photo credit: Vince Vance.

“There are times where I’ll see something has happened and I will have to scroll past it at first because I am not in the headspace to just completely derail my day,” he said. 

Vance, who identifies as Black, Queer, and as a progressive socialist, sees America’s emphasis on capitalism as the biggest barrier to eliminating racism. 

“Capitalism is the root of a lot of evil,” said Vance. “The policing that happens is protecting the interest of the rich.” 

His activism this year has included protesting with Black Lives Matter, donating money to protect individuals from evictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, and practicing self-care. 

“Taking care of myself is in itself an act of resistance,” said Vance. 

He hopes that after the next presidential election, America can start putting systems in place that better protect people of color, such as universal healthcare and prison reform. 

Sitting right of Vance on the political spectrum is Jerime Mason, 29, a training and quality specialist in healthcare from Chicago, Illinois.

“I am definitely more conservative than I am progressive at this point,” said Mason. 

For Mason, a devout Christian, it is the politicization of racial issues in the United States that he finds taxing. 

“For me, to actually address racism, it can no longer be politicized,” he said” It is a matter of truth and fact. If we are going to say all people are equal then we have to live that out, and with that I think ‘judging a book by its color’ is the one thing I see present in almost all mainstream media’s framing of the issue — like prejudging and pre-biases.” 

Mason is not convinced that the recent acts of police brutality against Black individuals are explicitly racist. 

With regard to the muder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer, Mason said, “ I am confused at how it is even perceived as racism. You definitely see an obvious abuse of authority, but after watching it several times, there’s nothing about it that tells you he did it only because he was Black.” 

Jerime Mason, 29, a devout Christian, views the politicization of race as the most frustrating element of political tension in America today. Photo by Jhaylen Cherry

He knows that his views are not the norm in the Black community, but that doesn’t hold him back from participating in conversations on race.

“I think it is healthy to listen and to desire truth in the conversation, even if I am wrong, and also to love the other person regardless of what conclusion they come to,” he said. 

Mason has spent a lot of time reading and researching to develop his political and social beliefs. But his real hope for a more just future comes from his Christian faith. 

“I don’t think I have seen or read the words of another man [i.e. Jesus] that has brought me more hope,” he said.  

Evan Traylor, 26, a full-time rabbinical student in Washington, D.C., finds his Jewish faith intertwined with his views on racial justice. 

“From as long as I can remember, what I learned at my Temple is that Judaism is about helping others and making the world a better place,” said Traylor. 

Being Biracial, both Black and white,Traylor has encountered racism within predominantly white Jewish spaces, pushing him to work on issues for Jews of Color. 

“It has been five to six years of exploring and investing around this idea of Jews of Color,” he said.  “How do we support JOCs and how do we eliminate the racism that exists within the Jewish community?” 

This summer, some of Traylor’s activism included speaking at Central Synagogue and teaching a workshop for the Jewish organization, Hillel International.  

He sees the tie between systems of oppression and the power of the wealthiest citizens. 

“Until we are able to refute the ideas that center white wealthy men, racism will continue to be here,” he said. 

 Traylor maintains hope despite the deep-seated inequality in this country and all of the work that must be done to dismantle it.

“It is hard to have ancestors that were enslaved and eventually gained their freedom, and started a family and set off this long chain of events that led to me and not have hope,” he said.

The post Black men, despite political and religious views, feel pain of racism and cling to hope appeared first on Pavement Pieces.