Racism Must Cease

By Apryl Hurst

When I saw what happened to George Floyd it took my breath away! I deeply gasped, hand over my mouth, eyes wide open like a deer blinded by headlights. Yet, it wasn’t headlights that shocked me but a black man, like my black husband, my black sons, my black brothers laying hand cuffed, face down on the hot, hard concrete crying, “I Can’t Breathe!” I was deeply sadden by what I just watched. My eyes began to fill with tears and the thoughts began rushing through my mind. That could be my husband, my brother, my friend and even worse my child laying on that ground with a knee on his neck screaming, “Momma help me!” Not one officer cared enough to hear the cry of a human being begging for his life.

I began thinking about the various times my husband was pulled over by the police and many times for no reason. He would call me while waiting for the cop to approach the vehicle. I would always say to him, “Make sure you keep your hands where they can see them!” I would stay on the phone with him until the cops left. Why should my husband and myself have this deep fear of him losing his life by the hands of the ones who’s vehicles read “To protect and serve.” Why should we feel the need to have someone else visible or listening while the police is in our presence? Our truth is our reality we live in fear of some cops!

The other day my son Michael and his friend was walking home from taking a swim at his friends grandma’s house. The boys said, there were 2 police cars in the parking lot they were approaching. One of the cops looked at them pointed 2 fingers at his eyes, then pointed 2 fingers at them. The boys wasn’t sure why he was giving them the gesture of, “I’m watching you!” When they got to the house Michael said, “Mom I didn’t like how that cop was looking at us it made us feel a little scared and very uncomfortable!” As a black mother I thought one wrong move, the wrong look, the wrong gesture could have caused my son and his friend to have some kind of horrible encounter with the police. Why or why does it seem to be crime to walk down the street while being black?

Our teenage sons are outgoing, intelligent, athletic and kind hearted. Yet, I fear one day they will face the monster of racism! This monster doesn’t know that my son Malachi volunteers at church, he’s an A student or that he’s in the Robotics program at his school and inspires to be the next great Engineer. They don’t know that my son Michael is a thriving athlete with the desires to one day play professional basketball or football. They don’t know that he has a big heart and has volunteered for the Special Needs Sports Camps at his school. This monster doesn’t know that Michael desires to one day be a sports commentator. Racism doesn’t know or see the human being they only see the color of one’s skin! Therefore, my fears are very accurate, for racism could take away my sons life, my husbands life, my brothers life, my friends life, my neighbors life all because of the color of their skin!!!!

My hope is that racist people will take the blinders off their eyes and see the beauty in others really, it’s no disguise. Racism has to cease for we as black people keep praying no more hatred please!!! God created you and me different and said, it was very good! So racist people, I don’t know what part of that you misunderstood! I am so glad we attend a multicultural church where the Pastors embrace every human being! All different races fill the sanctuary, as we lift our hands worshipping Jesus our King. Our Pastors address the pain of racism, it’s not swept under a rug. We talk about it, we address it, in Jesus name with love. Silence speaks volumes so ask if you don’t understand. Racism must cease I put it all in Jesus hands!

Blessings,

Apryl Hurst