Lynching: a premediated extrajudicial killing by a group.
Let’s talk modern-day lynching, not suicide of people of color in America. Recently there have been apparent suicides of black men hanging themselves from trees. Every case that has happened is being ruled a suicide by the cops, even though the families of these victims are saying they weren’t suicidal at all. I cannot comprehend why on earth this issue isn’t receiving nearly enough coverage or attention. Black people and people of color don’t wake up one day and look in the mirror and think:
“I am still a person of color like I have always been, I’m tired of it so I’m going to hang myself today.”
That just doesn’t happen, let alone as frequently as it has been happening. The most recent case happened at a park in New Jersey. Also in Indiana, a black man was attacked by several white individuals. one of the attackers was wearing a confederate flag hat and were yelling white power at the victim. The person this happened to wrote about it in a Facebook post. If you find this triggering in any way, please do not continue reading.
Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, we have all been horrified and outraged by the police. However, I find it odd and frustrating that very little coverage has happened on these hangings. They are all ruled suicides by cops that investigate these cases. It’s an open and shut case, end of story, that’s it. I am not buying it for one second that all of these are all suicides.
I personally believe if these victims are being killed by police officers there would be more protests demanding justice. Unfortunately, these cases of people who have hung themselves from trees aren’t making it to media headlines. Because you know that’s a thing that just happens out of nowhere across the country. Something is up and we need more people to know about these men and tell their stories and say their names. Be mad. Create change. Not only do victims of police brutality deserve it, but we all deserve it.
When news outlets don’t cover these stories, it’s telling these victims’ families that because your family member was not killed by a cop that their life doesn’t matter as much. We don’t get to see these cases flooded on social media, because the news outlets like to pick and choose what horrific thing they talk about. That is not fair or right in any way. These people’s lives mattered, even if news outlets don’t seem to think so.
Featured Photo by Clay Banks via Unsplash
