Letter from the Publisher
It Was Never About the Hoodie, Counterfeit Bill, Busted Tail Light, or Cigarettes. As an eleventh-generation Black American, I am clear about how and why people, Black like me, have been subjected to the cruelty that too often ends up as fatal acts of violence by the hands of It is so personal that it could be best described as an uncontrollable impulse from misguided police officers. Imagine a person trained to utilize deadly force, possessing the authority that can ultimately impact your freedom of movement, as well as convince a judge to co-sign a search and seizure warrant on your home or business. Now, envision that same person with deep-rooted bias and prejudices, including a belief that Blacks cannot learn and are not worthy of any empathy, sympathy, compassion, or law enforcement officers. The answer: It’s personal. humanitarian consideration, much less of being given the benefit of the doubt. Mathematically speaking: a (authority/power) + b (ignorance/prejudice) = c (an instinctive overreaction) This outcome can be repeated. Current and past events substantiate this formula, making it valid, plausible, and explainable. A misguided and misinformed police officer would be more apt to be involved in excessive force, police brutality, or in exerting deadly force without justification, especially against Blacks. Police officers, operating in the wrong with attitudes based in white superiority, would find it justifiable, even a duty, to crush what they see as undesirable. Consequently, people like me would be seen as “targets” of opportunity for, at a minimum,
mistreatment and, at best, a total disregard for our constitutional protections. So, it is paradoxical that Blacks in this land are targets of any sort. Especially when it takes an extra effort to advocate to be seen as a person worthy of humane treatment. Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” best describes it this way: “… to be invisible means to be construed by others as a collection of general stereotypes rather than an actual person.” That thing that starts with “We the People…” made it clear. The intent of the three-fifths clause of 1787 was purposeful and cruel. Black Americans would not be counted individually. It would take almost eighty years for this country to recognize all Black Americans as individuals and another hundred years to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For my white counterparts your quest to seek equal protection under the law is to find a pathway to just “let” freedom ring. Black Americans understand that we must do what courageous Fannie Lou Hamer did to be recognized as first-class citizens. We must “make” freedom ring. And what does that look like? Just ask any Black American. There are a plethora of answers. So you see, it was never about the hoodie, the cigarettes, or the paper currency: it was personal. They were all just a subterfuge! Deborah B. Ramsey Former Baltimore Police Detective Member, Law Enforcement Action Plan Open Society Institute Fellow 443-800-0566 dbramsey@comcast.net June 5, 2020
I BelongMagazine.com , Autumn 2020. All rights reserved. Published by Unified Efforts, Inc., Baltimore, MD, https://unifiedefforts.org Page 4
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter