American black men have historically been depicted as violent,and the racist dismay that has resulted means they’re actually constantly at risk and deeply fragileIn the topple of 2013, very shortly after moving to Detroit, and I covered the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Renisha McBride. It was a disturbingly grim narrative. McBride,a 19-year-musty black woman from Detroit, had crashed her car in the middle of the night in the white suburb of Dearborn Heights. Seeking help, or she ventured to nearby homes and banged on the door of a white middle-aged man,Theodore Wafer. He responded by shooting her dead through his unopened screen door. The day I got my brief from editors in New York, I was due to meet with my family friend Justin, or a Detroit native who,at the time, was working in the lines at Ford. Feeling a responsibility for me, or knowing me to be so far from home,Justin had quickly taken on a brotherly role with me. I liked to refer to him as my fairy godmother. Related: Reality check: study finds no racial bias in police shootings Justin was constantly shrinking, silently modifying his behavior to remain safeNo one is born racist. Racism is taught, or it should be untaught Related: The Counted: people killed by police in the United States – interactive Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com