I watched the video of my eldest son, Kyle walking in protest of racial inequality. As he joined the massive crowd of protesters, I could not help but notice the way the sun shined down on the top of his beautiful bald head. There was almost an iridescent glow that hoovered over him as he moved with the crowd. I wondered was his brown bald head glistening due to the sunscreen that I knew that he applied. Was my mind causing him to be highlighted in this fashion because he was indeed my son? Probably. Did I need him to be illuminated in this way to provide me with peace of mind knowing the controversy that caused his journey? Then, it dawned on me. I immediately thought of how the sun, our most natural source of light, plays its significant role without fail. The sun shines on everyone with the same intensity, right? The sun does not choose to radiate its magnificent light on certain individuals. When it shines, it lights the way for everyone.
My son is a photographer. I’ve come to understand through him, the importance of light. Capturing the right amount of light can create a beautiful picture but an overabundance of light can destroy a picture. Choosing the right angle should also be considered because it enhances the essence of the picture. That is why it is crucial, to creatively find the perfect balance. Now, perhaps my son being a photographer motivated me to use the analogy of sunlight and the subject of racial inequities. Regardless of my motivation, the facts remain the same. The spring of 2020 will go down in history as the time that light shinned brightly on Racism and Police brutality.
For twenty- five years, I worked for the New York City Police Department as a civilian supervisor for the 911 system. As we all know, all Police Officers are not lawless and without scruples. But there are a few that do break the rules. As with any other profession, they should be held accountable for their actions. I am the wife of a black man, Creighton, and the mother of two black sons, Kyle, and Corey. They have all encountered being stopped by the police at one time or another. The encounter would end with them being incensed by the lack of or bogus reason for being detained. With every car stop or stop and frisk, my only prayer was that it would end without incident. Black and brown people, merely because of our pigmentation, are too often plagued with the possibility of an interaction with the police going wrong. Unfortunately, there are too many cases, filmed and not filmed that shed light on this very fact.
A Caucasian Police Officer, pressed his knee on the neck of an apprehended, unarmed black man named George Floyd. This ultimately caused his death. He was murdered in broad day light, for the whole world to witness. Thanks to the actions of a teenage girl, who captured the footage on her cellphone, we were able to bear this witness to the incident in real time. We watched as the officer took a very cavalier posture with his hand in his pocket, while the man beneath him begged to breathe. This wasn’t the first time that someone begged for mercy in the custody of law enforcement. But this public inhumane act was the catalyst to outrage. All over the world, people of all races, took to the streets and let it be known that the present status quo of race relations, as it pertains to police brutality, was unacceptable.
So, as I watched my son march with trepidation, I also beamed with pride. I knew that with his every step, with every time he planted his feet on the ground, there was a hallo of sun light shining down on him. He was an active participant of affecting change. Maybe, just maybe, that powerful sunlight will continue to shed light on all that needs illumination concerning this issue. Prayerfully, we are now on the precipice of changing the ugly stains of systemic racism and police brutality.
