WS Chronicle

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

There are some things that we take for granted. We do them so much that we don’t give them a second thought. 

Routines and habits form for us over time.

Our lives are shaped by the patterns we make. They do not happen suddenly. They take time and repetition. Being aware of my surroundings was not always a sticking point with me. I was not hyper-sensitive about it. As I have matured and gained some traction in my life, I am acutely aware of where I am at all times. You can say that I have my antenna up every day that I step out of my home.

Why is that the case? Does it have to do with justice and fairness in our democracy?

I am a Black man in the United States of America.

While some have a different view, I do not have any margin of error. One wrong move, glance or stare might end up in my untimely demise. People with guns, badges and identifications have us on their radar screens. African American men have a target on our backs every waking hour. If you think otherwise, you are clueless as to what is happening in this country.

When you have a moment, find out what happened to professional tennis player James Blake and scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

So, when we as African American men can return to our homes at the end of the day, we have had a good day. If you are not Black or brown, you won’t understand that statement.

Unintended and unexpected consequences are always lurking nearby for us. We live with them.

Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man in Georgia, lived with them until his tragic and racist killing on February 23, 2020. He was 25 years old with a full life ahead of him. He was shot and killed by three white men who believed he was an armed thief.

He was neither.

If you are African American and a crime is committed, we always “look” like the culprit. We draw immediate suspicion because of our skin color. The three men have been charged with murder, as it should be.

The trial has put race at the forefront for everyone to see.

The attorney for William Bryan, Kevin Gough, is upset and doesn’t want Reverend Al Sharpton or any other Black pastors at the trial. Gough said, “I believe that’s intimidating and it’s an attempt to pressure or influence the jury.”

This is racism at its highest point.

Ahmaud Arbery is a victim of a system that upholds the adage that you are guilty even in death. These jaundiced proceedings are why we as Black men stay upset and on alert.

What is taking place in this trial is reminiscent of past trials involving us. The evidence is so compelling that you are left speechless with the verdicts. Remember Rodney King?

We will see how this trial progresses. The Brunswick, Georgia, area has a questionable and sordid history when it comes to us. Can fairness and right be upheld in this court case? Will innocence take a stand?

The truth and innocence are far-reaching and long suffering when you are Black and male in America.

Remember what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his 1963 I Have a Dream Speech in Washington, D.C. “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteous like a mighty stream.”

Until America can be factual about racism and inequality in this country, we will always be at this dangerous crossroads and intersection.

We cannot pretend that it didn’t exist and that it doesn’t exist.

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator. He can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com.