The Shadow Cast Over Every Day
where can we find a light
The mouth-watering scent of fresh wings, the start of the NFL season, and his dad’s 65-inch TV, Jason feels nothing can get him down this Sunday. As the national anthem begins, they notice a couple of players take a knee.
Jason lifts a fist in solidarity.
His grandfather, Pops, groans. “There’s another one. I don’t get what their fuss is about. Black people these days have it a lot better than they did in my day. Shoot, he’s probably making millions.”
Taken aback by this comment, Jason starts his own protest on the couch. “Pops, I respect what your generation experienced, and you said a key word, better. We may have some things better and more opportunities, but it still isn’t equality or even equity.”
Jason knew that no matter how much money these men made, if someone didn’t recognize them as an athlete, they at any point could become a victim of prejudice and racism in the form of microaggressions.
Pops croaks, “You sit here with a master’s degree, saying something about lacking equality.”
Jason retorts, “Yes, even with my master’s degree, I still have to live in fear of how others may perceive me. When I walk down the street, no one sees my degree. They see my skin and assume.”
The words of his grandfather reminded him of the things he heard from his white colleagues. For him it felt like the pressure was coming from all sides. Constantly having to explain that despite a lot of black accomplishments, people still failed to receive justice for so many things.
Being killed by police officers at a routine traffic stop.
Being told their hairstyle didn’t fit the dress code and needed to be controlled.
Being seen as either an athlete, rapper, or a criminal but nothing in between.
All Jason could think was…
How could a world that had grown so much still have so far to go?
How could this world get to the place it needed to be?
And who was responsible for getting the world there?
Would he and every other black person be tasked with the responsibility to teach people how to treat them with equal human respect?
The very thought of this made him feel overwhelmed. He could no longer focus on the game he was so excited for. This day turned out like so many other days in his life, aware of his blackness and its negative position in America. Always casting a shadow over every single day.
For many black Americans even as they strive grow and live freely, life reminds them that’s not yet a full reality. Folks have to explain it to older family members and other races. The pressure of having to live the experience and then explain themselves even with family can be exhausting. This sometimes can lead people to feel the work of educating is pointless. It is important work, but we must still acknowledge the toil and find our spaces for rest and refreshment.
