Many people in America wish for us to quit looking at things as an African American. I or we should not look at it as black or white. We should not emphasize we are black teachers, black drivers, black nurses, black doctors, black judges, black writers or that we have black businesses or black papers and black web sites. Yes, we are American.
The people in the African American community are just as or even more so American than anyone in this country. The sacrifices we have made just to get a fair shot show our dedication to this country.
For years, we have lived with a social terror of everyone in this society. Terror of the police and the terror of our bosses and business owners. Terror the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink will kill us. This systematic racism is not sustainable. That is why we will never stop resisting.
What evidence do we have from this in 2018? The president says he is the “least racist” person you will ever meet. And yet, he puts forth policies that disenfranchise people of color and people in the international community. The “least racist” person has a cabinet full of minorities that help shape his policy. Let’s see there is Dr. Ben Carson, Elaine Chao (Mrs. Mitch McConnell), and ……….. The Trump administration is planning to disband departments and divisions in the government that police discrimination and protect minorities by cutting budgets and dissolving the programs and appointing officials that are unsympathetic to civil rights practices. This is why we resist.
The EPA has reversed environmental compliance policies designed to keep us safe. The president believes these policies hurt businesses and jobs and the overall economy. The administration has cut the budget to the EPA by $8.1 billion which will eliminate the agency’s environmental justice office. The environmental justice office works to close the gap in the disparity in pollution experienced by minorities, low income communities and wealthier white neighborhoods. This is why we resist.
The administration is concerned about cutting crime, illegal immigration and securing the borders. Meanwhile, the police kill 1,129 people in the US last year. More people died at the hands of the police than Americans killed from terrorism (4) and mass shooters (428) in 2017. Yet, only 12 officers were charged with a crime related to a shooting death. Although the African American population makes up 13 percent of the population, blacks made up 37 percent of the victims of police violence. This is why we resist.
I am proud to be an African American. I am proud to be an American. I am ashamed of many of the things we do. My love for my home is such that I must speak up and out when we are wronged. It is not disrespectful to the flag or the military or the president. It is love that calls me to resist.
If you have ideas on how to do better and capitalize on your opportunities, please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff. #Resist #Wordsactionchange
