The Dangers We Don’t See

Rachel Willis
Nov 4 · 2 min read

There are certain moments in history that impact us so deeply you never forget where you were when they happened. For my parents, those moments included the murders of President Kennedy, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy. They can recall what they were wearing, how they heard the news, and the feelings that came next.

For my generation, it’s often the morning when the second plane crashed through the Twin Towers. I remember jolting from a reclining position in bed to sitting up straight, screaming, and covering my mouth as ABC news aired the live footage. I remember the fear I felt that this was an intentional act, that we might be on the brink of war, and that life would never be the same again.

It’s terrifying when you realize that danger is imminent. It’s worse when you don’t see it coming.

November 4, 2008 was one of those dangers we didn’t see coming. The election of Barack Obama was like a gift so beautifully wrapped in hope and symbolism that we didn’t realize inside the box was the dawn of white nationalism, authoritarianism, and a hint of fascism.

November 4, 2008: My mother, sister, and I seconds after Barack Hussein Obama was announced as the President-Elect of the United States of America.

We didn’t realize that eight years later the nation would start living in a state of tyranny where facts weren’t as popular as fiction and power was unchecked. We didn’t realize that our new normal would include:

  • Unjust murders of Black and Brown people at the hands of police
  • The need to create the Black Lives Matter Movement
  • The reversal of the Voting Rights Act
  • Funerals for parishioners shot by a mass murder during Bible Study
  • The Muslim Ban
  • Tiki torches descending on college towns
  • Migrant children being separated from their families at the border

Eleven years ago, my biggest fear was that Obama would be murdered before he moved into the White House. Every night, alongside most of Black America, I prayed, “Lord, don’t let them kill him before he’s inaugurated. Let him live, let him live, let him live. Amen.”

Today, I pray for us. I pray that now we see the danger that we don’t become paralyzed in fear. I pray that since we see racism is alive and well, that we will stop trying to fit that truth back in the box. I pray that we will acknowledge racism’s roots in history as a social construct. I pray that we will come to terms with how institutional and systemic racism has impacted us. I pray that we will live our lives as anti-racists, striking back at all forms of racial injustice we encounter in our personal and professional lives. And I pray that we have the vision to see the danger that awaits if we consciously turn a blind eye. Amen.

Rachel Willis

Written by

Racial justice educator. Daughter. Sister. Cousin. Friend. Caregiver in recovery.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade