No One Should Be Telling Black People How We Should React to Racial Trauma
Atatiana Jefferson. Samuel Dubose. Philando Castile. India Kager. Sandra Bland. Natasha McKenna. Eric Harris. Brendon Glen. Christopher Davis. Dominique Clayton. Willie Tilman. Freddie Blue. Eric Garner. Alteria Woods. Michael Brown. Pamela Turner. Botham Jean. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd.
This has been an emotionally exhausting week as an African American — to put things lightly. Most of us began our week continuing to find our footing in adjusting to the societal new normal of sheltering in place at home, though some states have lifted safer at home orders. I, just like everyone else, am helping pass the time by frequenting my favorite social media apps. I routinely scrolled down my Instagram timeline, unaware of the peril that awaited me.
Anytime I encounter a video of several police officers and a single black man or woman, that’s usually gone viral, truthfully speaking I do what I can to avoid the video. I close whatever app I am on and go to the next. Typically, I run into the video on the next social media platform and out of fear of what I may witness I put my phone down and try to focus my attention elsewhere altogether. The viral footage of George Floyd’s fatal arrest followed me across social media apps as some users were already engaged in uproarious discussions emotionally…
