In a country where Black Lives Matter remains a controversial, politically charged statement, expectations of equal protection under, by or from the law have always been tempered for conscious Black people.
In reality, these emotions should be viewed as justifiable responses to lived experiences of intergenerational structural violence.
Viral videos of police killings have recently begun to permeate the national consciousness, but countless, often undocumented, manifestations of structural violence that shape — and take — Black lives have burdened the Black psyche for generations.
Over the last year, there have been numerous examples of police officers and other law enforcement professionals who crossed the line with Black Lives Matter protesters and supporters.
As we heard during emotional testimony in Congress, plenty of police were fighting for what felt like their lives on Jan. 6.
Persons:
Jan, Kevin McCarthy, —, pathologize
Organizations:
Washington, J6, Capitol, Service, National Fusion Center Association, U.S . Capitol, GOP, U.S . Centers for Disease Control
Locations:
America