“Standing by my mother’s living-room window, I tried, tentatively, to ask her why our world was burning, burning. She gave me a forbidding look: Boy, be quiet so you can survive, her eyes seemed to say.” In this quotation, Als was talking about how black people might get affected negatively by involving themselves since African Americans are the target of racism. This reminds me of the law enforcement officials who took an oath of responsibility to the communities they serve. “Protect and serve” should apply to all people and when it does not, communities become less safe, and rights are abused, disproportionately, like what is happening to the black community in America. But things have been changing, because no matter how divided, unequal, and unfair the United States may be, black Americans have been able to organize and fight for justice in a more cohesive way. Throughout the 20th century, there were major rebellions in Chicago in 1919, in New York’s Harlem neighborhood in 1935, in Detroit in 1943, and in Los Angeles on various occasions. In almost all cases, the riots had been triggered by direct police violence, or by failure to intervene when violence was perpetrated against blacks.
“Like any number of black boys in those neighborhoods, I grew up in a matrilineal society, where I had been taught the power—the necessity—of silence.” In this quotation, Als is talking about how African Americans do not have freedom of speech. This reminds me of the first amendment. Freedom of expression includes the right to freedom of speech. This quote also reminds me of Martin Luther King Jr. Surely the best-known advocate for the rights of African Americans. He was an American activist and pastor who in the 1960s and 1970s led the movement in defense of black voting rights, as well as other basic civil rights. He wanted a world in which blacks and whites lived in peace and harmony. Thanks to him, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act the following year, a landmark law that prohibited discrimination and racial segregation.
“I was convinced that the cops would run across my roof and, on seeing my black ass sitting in an apartment in a neighborhood where I had no business being, would shoot me dead. I asked a white male friend to come and be with me.” I can’t imagine having such feelings. Living with that fear that you are not safe not even in your own home must be hard. Blacks have long been excluded from the full enjoyment of American freedom, and that racial inequality continues to this day. Today, the future of American freedom is as challenging as ever.
The part where you say “blacks have long been excluded from the full enjoyment of American freedom” made me think of how this country is built on the backs of these people yet they are not awarded the same rights. Not only that, but after years of fighting for basic rights, there are people who work to try and take those rights away.
black in america have never had power. but now that they hold a little, its highly valued in for the form of their vote. no longer are nominees allowed to ignore them, no long are companies allowed to exclude and or discriminate against them, because they hold power. a company needs your money, and the government needs your say. so now more than ever the black community can push for change.
Your third quote is very sad, but justified. Nobody can know what a cop can do just because they feel like it, and living in fear is an unfortunate reality for so many people today.