C: I want to get your thoughts on what is going on in this country. It has become very apparent that everything is falling apart to an extent as we’ve already seen. In our community with black people and it’s just not right. We go through these cycles of peaceful protesting for justice for so many, and it’s just like there’s no real consequence, or no change. What as a black man are you feeling?
T: It’s just tiring honestly. I don’t have the right words to say how I feel about everything that’s happened lately with Jacob Blake and George Floyd. It more-so is like you just don’t feel safe. You think you are a normal person just living life everyday but in reality there are some people who really do look at you as a threat. Even though you aren’t doing anything threatening or trying to look threatening at all. You are just trying to live life like everyone else. It’s challenging, and we have a long way to go as a society.
C: When seeing that video of his sister speaking, I thought she was really on point with saying how she felt numb. I’m numb. I feel that. This is entirely out of line. It’s like, man again? Why do we have to keep going through this. It’s very difficult to really think on everything because I think of my own brother, you, our son and our future. What that will be like. The things we have to teach and educate our kids, and have those hard, tough conversations because it’s not going to be any easy conversation. It will be hard, and may scare them; but it is our reality as black people. Especially with social media in this time. Everything is instant so it’s not like how we grew up where you just had the news, and that’s always only going to show selective stories. I would know, because I’ve worked in news stations. I’m pretty sure there were more incidents like this back then, happening all over. Our phones and technology NOW bring everything to a light that I think some people (the white people) have never seen before. It’s no hiding now. Period. Like you said, it really is hard to explain your feelings at this point because until there is change, this painful cycle and reality will continue.
We really are just numb. It’s been going on for years and it was a little surprising for me at first and now sadly with everything being recorded it’s just really crazy and frustrating. It’s tiring to try and keep pushing for change when it’s constantly happening. I continue to pray for the black man and for the world.