an event worth noting
3 years ago
I love black men! Young to old, they inspire me. They are so wonderful, so smart, so strong, born warriors. We've been talking about black men for the past couple days, so I decided to just go ahead and make this a week of highlighting issues pertaining to black men. I found this documentary called I am Sean Bell. Please take a couple minutes to check it out. It's crazy that our young boys have to be trained to act a certain way around police, so that their lives won't be taken from them prematurely.
22 comments
I definitely feel you on your sentiments. Even though I choose to focus on issues that affect black women on my blog, black men have and will always have a place in my life and heart. This video brought me to tears.
good idea. I would have responded to the other two, but I really don't have n e thing to say about why men are getting married...dealing with having them stay committed is already enough when you're 21 and so are they.
But cool documentary, Imma check it out. Finally a black man tryna be committed, Bell, and look at what happened to him.
Thank you for this. I hope many people see this and that it opens their eyes.
This was cool.
wow. i feel what you saying, i love black men too. i think that this video was really inspiring and it showed that some of these young men out here really want to do something with their lives and they are intelligent. i wish we could see more of that on tv instead of all the negativity and violence. all i can say is that violence will prevail until all of us as a people come together for a greater good. there is truly strength in numbers
damn Eb...this video really touched me...one part of me was proud to see young educated black men speaking with knowledge at such a young age....but then the other part of me was sadden because a child is suppose to be innocent, and living free without the worries that these young men speak of.
like one of the brothas said we've been marching for years, when are we going to see some results...
thanks for sharing.
I love black men! I can watch a parade of them going down the street everyday.
Its sad we got to teach our young boys how to act around the police. Have you heard about the black man that was shot at point blank range on the BART in Oakland for nothing? He wasn't resisting arrest. He was on the ground laying on his stomach with his hands behing his back while one officer had a knee in his back. Then another cop stood over him and shot him. Someone captured it on video. Its on youtube.
damn good post lil sis. i'm lovin this!
This was such a moving piece. It is very unfortunate that our young men have to feel like this. I hate they have to grow up in fear of being mistreated or killed by 'law enforcers'. My uncle was killed in May by the police so I know what it feels like to lose a family at the hand of the police.
In Chicago I hear alot of young men talk about how they have to be careful just walking down the street in certain areas or any time of day. The police harass these young men. Many of them go to school with me and trying to do right.
Its very heartbreaking they have to deal with this additional stress of life. It's really hard out here for our black men and we have to love and support them because its real in these streets/
The video was quite sad and those are young handsome boys with so much potential.
I can't believe Bell dies 2 years ago. It seems like it happened earlier.
That is a great thing you are doing. Often enough, a lot of us don't feel too appreciated. Not that we should be patted on the back for being men. But it is great to be acknowledged.
Shame that we've come to the point when you have to learn to act a certain way around police. They need to learn and act a way around people. They can't go around treating people other than human. I think they forget that without a gun and badge they are people too and should treat people with respect. Just because you enforce the law doesn't mean that you are above it. If anything, you should be representing yourself better than most instead of thinking that you are better and doing what you want.
Pardon the rant.
Great post. Great direction.
Man, I am feeling this so hard right now. First off, this documentary was simultaneously brilliant and sorrowful. This is indeed what we as a people are dealing with today within the black communities and outside as well, because as we all should be aware of, black men are also unsafe outside of neighborhoods that are not predominantly black. Their very presence is always perceived as a threat and because of that ignorant ideology lives are oppressed and ultimately lost.
Secondly, just to prove how sickening and prevalent the police slaying of black men is you can do a search for a police involved shooting in Oakland, CA on New Years.
Jan 1st, BART police (BART is the Bay Area metro system) shot a handcuffed young black man in the back. What the cops didn't know is that the whole thing was caught on video by various BART riders. Thank God for the new technology. With the click of cell phone evidence is in existence. The video shows about 2 or 3 young men seated and the police appear to have the situation under control. Then you see a couple of officers slamming the man who was shot to the ground and putting their feet and knees in this neck (all while the guy has his hands handcuffed behind his back. Why is he being further restrained with force???). Then while the guy is face down on the ground the officer draws his weapon like he's in a fucking western showdown and fires a shot right in his back. Then he continues to handle the guy roughly, pulling him up, letting him fall back to the ground and pushing him around on the ground, all while he either lay there bleeding to death or he is already dead.
Although the whole event is looping over and over on the news they are still trying to call it an accident! Even going as far to say that, and I quote, "people are trying to create stories for what they see on the video". Um... WTF? The officer has been identified and still has not been questioned, arrested, nothing. However, he currently has police protection because he has received death threats.
Again, the shit is sad because the police are allowed, what seems like under the law, to kill black men. And people still can't understand why black people are so angry within this country... because as far as we'd like to think we've come, we are really still in the same place.
Word!
This scares me so much. I have two nephews that I absolutely adore ages 12 and 14, and I worry that these great kids will grow up to be men that the world despises. I worry that the police will look at them as monsters or criminals and use them for target practice. I am praying that our Black men will not become an endangered species, truly. And I am praying for the young men I love personally and that I work with everyday in the high school where I am employed. It's crucial!
What an eye-openinig video. Urban Thougts captured my thoughts beautifully. I can't wait to get my mentorship program of the ground.
Wow that video made me think hard about the future of our black youth
Deep. Thank you for sharing this Eb. Those young black boys are so aware and so intelligent...I'm going to believe that they have a bright future in this country. As the adorable young man said "We are not what they think of us..." They will beat cop killin, just as they have survived everything else. They are going to make it. Barack is simply the beginning.
I love your post.
The Black Man has been getting slammed for too long (especially in Blog World).
That is so sad. Glad those guys are helping them though.
man, its nice to really see the young perspective, especially young Black men who is affected by this everyday. unfortunately, but hopefully now, any one of those boys could be a victim at any time.
i wish more of the youth around my area think like this.
That was SOOOO good! I had to link it to my latest post in which I've posted the youtube video of a young, black, unarmed man from Oakland, CA that was shot by an officer on New Years Day!
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