As poignant and brilliant as Jesse Williams’ speech at the BET Awards was; there remain 2 clear unfortunates of it. 1) Unfortunately, we, as a people, may be caught up in the rhythm and smooth pageantry of Williams’ words. We heard it. We felt it. We were encouraged. We were moved. Will we have forgotten two months from now? Two years from now, will we STILL allow ourselves, our culture, and our genius to be misappropriated and extracted by means of REMAINING uneducated (and I’m not talking about formal education, I’m talking common sense), protecting buffoonery, and retaining victimization. In other words, we will do NOTHING to STOP the extraction of ourselves, our culture, and our genius, because we’ve gotten too comfortable valuing and encouraging a stereotype our ancestors never meant for us. We’ve gotten too comfortable in our little world of inaction. We, as a whole, are comfortable to complain, but uncomfortable with the responsibilities that conjure real change. “Y’all think it’s bougie, I’m like, it’s fine. But I’m tryin’ to give you a million dollars worth of game for 9.99.” – “The Story of O.J.,” Jay Z

“…dedicating our lives to getting money just to give it right back for someone’s brand on our body when we spent centuries praying with brands on our bodies.” – Jesse Williams, 2016 BET Humanitarian Award recipient

2) Unfortunately, white people weren’t watching the BET awards, even though it’s simulcast on MTV, MTV2, VH1, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. As Williams’ stated, there IS a problem when law enforcement manages to deescalate situations involving white assailants but not in situations involving black assailants. While, as a justice
professional, I will FULLY admit that Sandra Bland’s attitude pissed ME off as I watched it–for many reasons; professionally and personally. Yet NO ONE has acknowledged that one crucial unnecessary question dripping with a sarcastic and dismissive undertone (“Are you alright?); when the officer chose to provoke her attitude instead of issuing the citation and going on with his day! It was at THAT moment the life of a citation was valued over a life. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you either, 1) refuse to see it or 2) think the problem started only when things got physical–in which case, both of you are wrong. We can’t fix together, what the ruling class refuses to acknowledge is broken.

“…we know that law enforcement manages to deescalate, disarm, and not kill white people everyday” but not in situations involving black assailants. – Jesse Williams, 2016 BET Humanitarian Award recipient

While we might share some life experiences as general human experiences, I don’t expect my white friends to see everything the way I observe as a black woman. And I hope they’re as smart as I think they are and don’t expect me to see everything the way they see it as white men and women. I don’t expect my white friends to relate to this world as I do. That’s impossible, really. They’ve never been black! I’ve never been white. We’re totally different people, with totally different experiences from totally different perspectives. While that makes for wonderful friendships, it’s a clear hurdle as it relates to social opposition.

They’re not the target of awkward comments or situations and have to wonder if the motive was racial. They don’t remain graceful and unmoved in a public situation that was clearly racially motivated. They’ve never gone to lunch with white co-workers in 2016 (!!!) and literally FELT the unspoken words of other patrons, “What’s this nigger doing in here?!,” radiating from angry stares because (unbeknownst to your party), CLEARLY neither the restaurant or its regular patrons positively “interact” with many (if ANY) black people, and still hold tight to old racial prejudices! They don’t have to deal with under-toned racism in a workplace, thereby making it hard to prove, which would essentially render you just another “angry black woman.” They don’t see the upbeat, happily pleasant cashier chat up the white person in front of you in the line, but when it’s your turn, their entire mood goes stoic, “bothered” and you don’t even get so much as a “hello”-leaving you wondering, “Was that because I’m black?” They don’t put their registration, proof of insurance, and driver license in a neat package on their dashboards before the take a trip, so that they don’t have to reach into ANYTHING, if stopped. They don’t experience or even notice these situations because they don’t have to. It’s not a part of their daily existence. It’s easy not to see. And then there are those who refuse to acknowledge what they see because it disturbs their privileged existence. It disturbs their spirit and they become defensive, instead of yielding to uncomfortable conversations, emotions, and ACTION!

However, I DO expect empathy and understanding. I DO expect open eyes, minds, and a perceptive attitude when observing what they can’t personally understand. I expect them to consider the FACTS of being black in this country from a firsthand source (me), before dismissing Williams’ speech. I DO expect them to speak up for racial injustices just as they do for abortion and animal rights. I mean, I
DO stand up for their safety every day. I’ve stood up for their international safety, too. I DO stand up for them on personal levels.

“The thing is though, just because we’re magic, doesn’t mean we’re not real.” – Jesse Williams, 2016 BET Humanitarian Award recipient.

In other words; Just because we make being black in this country LOOK easy, doesn’t mean it is.