I am angry.
For too long, we as African Americans have been and are still for the most part living in an era where two sets of laws exist. It's a tale of two cities, if you will. One city wants for nothing; the other is starving to death, depending solely on the few crumbs it can get from the hands that feed it. It's a matter of simple biology. What happens when you have two plants but only give one plant water, light, and nourishment? It will thrive, while the other one will die. This pattern is reflected in almost every major city in America. Baltimore is no different. The areas in and around the Inner Harbor, for example, thrive, while the areas further away die.
From the top down, lawmakers and law enforcement have made it virtually impossible for African American citizens to trust a system that so often targets them. Day after day, week after week, black lives are senselessly lost at the hands of those ordained to serve and protect. Society wants to be angry at the looters in Baltimore for breaking the law, but the police, who time and time again violate the system, too often go unchecked. Jim Crow is at its height in 2015, and those who doubt it, should just turn on the television — and get angry.
But be angry for the right reason. Be angry because the education system has failed African American children, and as such, many of them don't value education. Be angry because local officials consistently cut funding to programs in communities who need the funding the most. Be angry because those who are elected to office often do not champion the rights of African Americans and only give simple 'lip service' to our causes. Be angry because the criminal justice system promotes a cycle of recidivism rather than reformation. Be angry because the disparities that exist on social, economic, educational levels continue to grow and parameters to prevent escalation often do not work in African Americans' favor. Be angry because had one, privileged, white male accountant from Los Angeles ever been shot down dead in the streets at the hands of an African American police officer, the outrage from white America would have caused immediate and swift retribution.
As African Americans, we should be angry, but we should seek justice productively. Just as the licensed, systemic brutality from the police is wrong, so is violence in retaliation. Looting and rioting (or "uprising" as one citizen weighed down with toilet paper and two-liter soda bottles called it) is inexcusable, and only further takes attention away from the real issues at hand. The grocery stores, pharmacies, malls, and mom and pop stores in the communities are not the enemies.
Now that the smoke has cleared and the officers involved in Gray's death have been charged, will still need the services of those outlets that now lie in ruins. Freddie Gray's death should not be used as an excuse (for either law enforcement or hooligans) to pillage the streets of Baltimore. Rather, we should use his death to mobilize and continue to press for justice in a society that still does not value all citizens. We cannot afford to tolerate the tale of two cities any longer; the polarizing dichotomy will be to everyone's peril.
Tanya McInnis works in education. Her email is tmcinnis1@yahoo.com.