Killings should inspire us to fight brutality
Last summer, my 20-year-old son met his baby nephew for the first time.
He texted me a picture, which quickly made me laugh at the uncomfortable look on his face as he was figuring out how to hold and care for the tiny life placed in his hands.
When news broke about the killing of another young Black man, I was startled by the image of Daunte Wright holding his baby and the similarity of the two pictures.
The young men were so alike in life, it seemed, except that one life was already over.
Eight years ago this week, after the death of Trayvon Martin, President Barack Obama emotionally said,“this could have been my son.”
The fact that unarmed young men and boys of color continue to die at the hands of law enforcement should compel all of us – but especially parents – to demand solutions to a pandemic of violence and brutality.
Men and boys of color are expected by now to know the rules their race demands of them in America: Remain calm during a police encounter.
Don’t raise your voice or show anger, even if you have done nothing wrong or pose no threat. Keep your hands raised and your head down.
These are the rules for surviving encounters with peace officers that Black parents teach their children to follow.
The “talk” often begins at an early age. Many white parents might teach similar lessons, but with so much less urgency because their children are more likely to come home.
Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old white child, didn’t need those rules last summer when he crossed state lines with an illegal Ar-15-style rifle and shot three people, killing two, during protests from the earlier police shooting of Jacob Blake.
After the shooting, Rittenhouse was still fully armed and walked unchallenged toward and through police, expecting to be arrested but instead was instructed to go home.
Since his later arrest and posting of bail, he has been photographed drinking beer in a bar and flashing the white supremacy sign while posing for pictures
Eight years ago this week, after the death of Trayvon Martin, President Barack Obama emotionally said,“this could have been my son.”
with men belonging to the Proud Boys, a far right neofascist organization that promotes white power and political violence.
A fund set up for his defense has raised nearly $600,000, with a Florida state congressmen calling for the boy to run for Congress.
The stories of Wright and 13-year-old Adam Toledo ended differently.
Toledo was killed by police as he obediently raised his hands after police responded to gun shots in his neighborhood.
Wright made the awful decision to flee police, and a veteran cop says she mistakenly used her gun instead of a taser to stop him.
Both lives ended before they had really begun, and for mistakes that shouldn’t have caused their violent deaths.
My teenage son made his share of dumb mistakes, and some of them ended in run-ins with police. It could have gone differently, but perhaps he was more protected by his skin color and the leafy suburban neighborhoods he roamed after dark.
Alex, too, received “the talk,” not only from me but also from officers who returned him safely home. He was given another chance to gain the wisdom that only comes with age and experience. We were fortunate.
Unlike Toledo, Wright or Martin, he still has more chances to learn from his mistakes and to grow up.
Kevin Kelly is executive director of the Dayton Peace Museum. The organization’s mission is, through education and collaboration, to inspire people to work for greater peace and compassion.