Three Strikes
By Rodney Gaines
My ancestors were taken from their land, stripped of their name, religion and culture. Taken to a country of oppression, injustice, denial of humanity. Abused and used for unpaid labor from 1618 until 1865.
That’s more than 250 years of back breaking labor from sunrise to sunset building a wealthy country. One that never shared the profits or land with Black men or women. We were hung from trees and beaten for rebelling.
We were blamed for our state of existence, the great descendants of Africans.
THAT’S STRIKE #1.
We will never forget the past or our brave ancestors that guided us to the future. We demand equality; there is no one and nothing that can deny us from justice. Nor will we stop being PROUD, INTELLIGENT, STRONG, and CONFIDENT Black people. The creativity and confidence of black Americans is the stuff of Kings and Queens. You will never break us!!!
Yet after slavery, America has spent decades trying to break us. Displaying to the whole world your racism, hatred, and lack of education. A comfort with social injustice has created the greatest deterrent to Black people's progress in America.
THAT’S STRIKE #2.
Do Americans even remember the words of the National Anthem?
The land of the free. We are not free as long as we’re not treated as equal and respected children of God.
The home of the brave. Intimidating and threatening people of color with violence is not bravery.
Justice and liberty for all. What all? There’s no justice, only injustice for people of color.
We have faced brutal lynchings, hangings, bombing of Black churches, the killing of innocent families and little children. Our Black civil rights leaders have been assassinated.
White police officers won’t hesitate to “shoot to kill” an unarmed teenager, woman or man with Black skin. They abuse their lawful authority and cowardly hide behind a badge and a uniform knowing white juries and governments will forgive their devilish and evil actions.
America should be held accountable for its treatment of Blacks, instead it turns a blind eye to our rights. So, we peacefully protest and march for equality. We riot when another innocent life is taken.
How else do we say that Black lives do matter!?
On January 6th, 2021, the world watched as the Capital of The United States of America was infiltrated by a violent White mob, incited by the former President of this country. Shouts of ”Make America Great Again'' by white supremacists. Meanwhile the American people suffer with a deadly pandemic that has killed thousands of us.
THAT’S STRIKE 3…OR IS IT?
Yes, the American people voted Donald Trump out. But what happens next?
Who can make amends for the past? Who can make America live up to the values in the National Anthem -- freedom, bravery, justice, and liberty for all, including Black Americans and people of color?