I know my title is not the queen’s English, but I just wanted to share some very real thoughts on living in America as a black person and the frustration that comes with it, from birth. As an African-American, when I read posts, articles, blogs, etc. that talk about a particular failing in American society, I am always looking for the words, “We Are So Sorry We Didn’t Listen:” at the beginning of the titles. America you have failed from your founding and are slow about any sort of restitution. You talk about reconciliation, but you don’t even want to ask for forgiveness. Now that the pain is crossing lines and causing white, liberal Americans a little discomfort and pain, things are just starting to fail. For some of us American was never the big success story it claimed to be, it was not the beacon of freedom for everyone who reached its shores, it was not the bastion of democracy, or even the place where one could be to worship freely without persecution. No matter how many amendments there are to our Constitution, the base document still says that blacks are 3/5 of a person. Why do you hate us so much for being kidnapped, abducted, imprisoned, enslaved, raped, impregnated, lynched, murdered, imprisoned, and dehumanized? Why are we the targets of such vile rhetoric and unjustifiable violence? All we want is for you to just leave us be. We want you to allow us to be human, to take our place in G-d’s Creation.
The Bible talks about Sabbath as a time for rest, a time for restoration. Humanity was made for the Sabbath, not the other way around. Black America wants its Sabbath. All we want is for you to leave us be.
bridgeinterfaithalliance.org 