There’s a lot going on. The situation of immigrant children being separated from their parents locked away in cages, and “lost” is a very serious and sad situation. It amazes me that a country that can lock children in cages and hang people from trees are celebrating freedom today. A Walmart has even been turned into a shelter housing undocumented children separated from parents in Brownsville, Texas. Walmart’s being turned into detention centers and camps was talked about years ago but people said they were just conspiracy theories.
In the midst of this, there is an increase in racist behavior toward Blacks. It seems that every week someone is calling 911. It’s not just “BBQ Becky” or the woman who called the police on the group in Oakland but 911 calls are being made every day. Videos of racial profiling by white police and White Americans have gone viral. A Black girl was selling water without a permit, a white woman assaulted a Black man who “did not belong at the pool,” a Black boy accidentally mowed some of his neighbors lawn and an 89-year-old Black woman was forced to urinate in public after being denied the use of the bathroom at a Circle K gas station.
Lynchings are also taking place regularly, even though no one’s talking about it. It is happening so much that Congress’s three African-American senators introduced a bipartisan bill Friday to make lynching a federal crime. “The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 notes that during the first half of the 20th century nearly 200 attempts to pass anti-lynching legislation failed to gain support from the Senate despite urging from seven sitting presidents.”
What they won’t say is that Lynchings didn’t stop there.
The body of Frederick Jermaine Carter, 26, was found in 2010 hanging from an oak tree in the predominantly white North Greenwood area of Leflore County, Mississippi, Otis Byrd’s body was found hanging from a tree in 2015, and on April 18, 2018, the mutilated bodies of two young African-American men, Alize Ramon Smith and Jarron Keonte Moreland, were found in a pond near Moore, Oklahoma. A woman was discovered hung near a Walmart in College Park, Georgia on May 14. And a man was found near Atlanta University Center on April 27. (Essence also listed 5 additional attempted Lynch cases.) Many of these cases are deemed suicides. That’s for the people who do not know any better.
…and the myriad of unarmed Blacks being shot and killed daily which are now being deemed modern-day lynchings.
“The tragic shooting deaths of 17-year old Trayvon Martin in 2012 and 18-year old Michael Brown in 2014 reawakened the nation to the epidemic of killings of unarmed blacks by private citizens and law enforcement officers. Sadly, the shooting of unarmed blacks seemingly continues unabated despite the numerous nation wide street protests, town hall meetings, and pledges from politicians and law enforcement agencies to address this systemic problem. According to the Washington Post, “Although black men make up only 6 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 40 percent of the unarmed men shot to death by police in 2015. What is more, the Post’s analysis documents that black men were seven times more likely than white men to die by police gunfire while unarmed. Whereas in 2012, Trayvon Martin was literally the poster child for unjustified killings of unarmed blacks, today there are a litany of black victims (Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice to name a few) that can fill that role.” (Source: 21st Century Lynchings)
READ MORE ON THE ANTI-LYNCHING BILL HERE.
The PBS Blog 
This is very chilling news.
I was intending to wish all those I know in the USA best wishes for the 4th July, in the light of this to do so would seem trite.
Take care
Roger (UK)
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Precisely. I never celebrate the 4th.
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Understandable.
Best wishes and take care
Roger
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Thanks Patty for sharing!
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Wow, what a heart wrenching piece.
I agree that yes, America has it’s flaws & is not perfect. Trump has his many flaws as well….but he DID sign into law a bill to prevent immigrant children from being separated from here on out…so that’s something at least.
As an African American myself, I too have felt the strain of celebrating this time of year at times, but the fact of the matter is…compared to a lot of other countries, we still live in one of the greatest countries…& have the CHOICE to do so.
We have the freedom to showcase our abilities, invest in our talents, & sharpen our skills. It may take more of a struggle, but we can go up as high up the ladder as we please. Obama elected as president proved that…& it took more than just African Americans to vote him into office.
We have the freedom to write these blogs, freedom to vote for whom we choose, & the freedom to protest what we DON’T believe, or what we DO believe in.
No, America is NOT perfect…far from it, but instead of focusing on the flaws, perhaps it may help to view it from a different perspective, & to be grateful for the liberties that we DO have, & the fact that we still have the freedom to fight for justice for all.
Blessings ❤
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Sorry. I disagree. First, just so we’re clear, I talk about Black achievements in America all the time on this blog but I am not going to ignore the bad stuff because it makes people uncomfortable. And while I feel you on focusing on the good, I’ll do that when America shows me real goodness. All of the supposed freedoms we think we have are mere illusions used to mask the truth concerning where we truly stand as a people. At the end of the day Blacks still have no knowledge of who we are and what our duty as a people is. A Black President did not stop us from being slaughtered in the streets and on July 4, 1776 the so-called Black man, woman, and child were still slaves. There is nothing to celebrate. America’s Independence Day is a joke.
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Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide.
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Thanks Traci for sharing!
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You’re welcome, Yecheilyah!
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Thanks for the link back!
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And all the while the US president tells everyone how bad it is to live in other countries. Go figure. I can’t believe how a country that prides itself on equality and freedom can be so blind to a truth within its own borders. Hopefully one day everyone everywhere can have the same freedoms and respect…but I doubt it will happen. We all spend too much time focusing on what makes us different instead of on what makes us the same.
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Exactly.
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You said a mouthful here. Mere illusions as to what “freedoms” we have. We are still in bondage but people do not see the bigger picture. But when you know truth you know what America and it’s Independence Day is really about. It’s just another day that I was blessed to have the breath of life. Great post!
I enjoy reading different view points.
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Hey hun 😘. I enjoy different viewpoints as well. One of many perks to blogging. Thanks for leaving a comment on the table.
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