Man of Depravity

Serving Millennials on the Journey Toward Significant Life

Being Black

Posted on Author TylerPosted in the rest...Leave a Reply

I don’t know what it’s like to be black in the United States. I’ve only ever been white, my whole life.

Last night video showed a man dying in the seat of his car, having been shot by a police officer while he was grabbing his ID the officer asked for, having already identified his legally held weapon. This happened a few miles from the house I grew up in, near Minneapolis.

This was all shown on Facebook Live, while his girlfriend was being handcuffed, and his 4-year-old daughter helplessly watched. His name is Philando Castile. His tail light was out. This follows the cell phone footage of Alton Sterling being shot in the head for carrying a gun in his pocket.

This is unthinkable and it demands outrage.

I’m as tired of outrage culture as anyone else, but when we call a man dying a death he did not deserve part of outrage culture, we silence the voice of the oppressed.

It’s interesting that Christian culture has embraced a select few hip-hop artists as part of their club. These guys champion the gospel. They do it in a way that is “relevant” (Christians love to be relevant) to a part of society many struggle to relate with. The most conservative of Christian organizations has welcomed many of these guys with open arms.

But when these individuals start calling out the systemic brutality of a race, people call foul, people call outrage culture, people turn on them. How cowardly.

I don’t know what it’s like to be black in the United States, so I’m choosing to listen to those who are. Maybe you should too.

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