I Stand By My Words
A living History of America has been shown once again through the life of When They See Us. Now let’s get to it. I’d like to first say in honor of Dick Gregory, “The Truth doesn’t need to be validated by anyone’s ignorance!”
This was timely and exact!
With that being said, White women and Black men have NEVER had a positive relationship. Ask Emmitt Till, lied on by a White woman saying he attacked her. Ask Black Wallstreet Tulsa, Ok, a White woman lied and said she was attacked by a Black boy. Ask Rosewood in Florida, a White woman claimed a false man named Jesse Hunter raped her, when in fact it was her own husband. Ask the current brother serving 12 years for being lied on saying he raped a White woman and all evidenced stated he did not.
I will go deeper into America. It was a time Black Men couldn’t even look White women in the eyes and had to move across the street. I bet many didn’t know White women didn’t have the right to vote until the 1920’s. This is major because even though they had power in return they never had power because they weren’t allowed to represent themselves.
So this movie autobiography showed the fear White women have on our Black men which stems from years past and the constant railroading of the system.
Freddy Miyares as Adult Raymond Santana Jr. and John Leguizamo as Raymond Santana Sr.
In The Miranda rights it states, “You have the right to remain silent ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL be used against YOU.” Those words are clear. It should bother all of us because if a “regular” civilian make a false report they can and will get charged with those same crimes. However, when those who are as police, prosecutors, judges commit these acts they just get over turned without repercussion. The only conclusion is if one falls the who whole system falls. Chop the head the body falls.
It took several years for the Central Park 5 to be released and for all charges to be dropped. If it weren’t for Matias Reyes coming forward with the truth, the life of the Central Park 5 would still be in chains. However, even after Reyes first came forward it still took some of the investigators (“crooked cops”) time to figure out that the Central Park 5 were innocent.
This case may have happened in 1989, but our Black men are still being wrongly convicted in 2019. We have not made any strides in this Country. We may have taken a couple steps forward in terms of voting rights, but we have taken 10 steps back in equality and injustice.
I applaud Ava for bringing this story to the forefront because it is NEEDED, whether people want to see it or not. Yes it will make you mad, BUT stories like these NEED to be in the spotlight in order for people to be prompted to change. It’s time that OUR people stop hiding behind Love & Hip Hop and other “fantasy” reality shows.
Stay woke!