Nehel M.
17 year old boy, murdered by Police in France
"I love you, be careful" were the last words he heard from his mother
I never ask anyone here to agree with me. But if you don't realize that had the young man above been white, he would still be alive, then you don't have even the barest inklings about the truth of what racism is in this world. People of color, and especially young black men and boys, as well as trans, gay and non-binary people and every other group on the margins are under attack around the world. And for black people, it's just the latest iteration of 500+ years of oppression.
I note that a significant portion of the visits to this blog come from France. And I imagine the vast majority of my visitors are not people of color. And so this is your call to action, to become allies to your oppressed and frustrated black and arab brothers and sisters. Just as in America, the generational wealth of your society was built on colonial oppression and the enslavement and exploitation of people of color all over the world. Now is the time to remember that and make right the wrongs of the past and today, and to live up to your claimed ethos and motto, "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité." As Pride month draws to a close, remember it too began as a protest for rights, freedom and equality. Remember also, that whenever any of us are not free, none of us are truly free.
I invite you to do something I often do. I seek out and read stories about my own country in the overseas press. It's truly eye opening to realize how others in the world see my nation and its irrational and oversized influence on the world. For my French brothers and sisters, here is that opportunity for you:
And you may well ask, why does this story matters so much to me? Well, I am black. When I saw Nehel's photo, I saw myself 40 years ago, I saw my sons and my nephews. I could easily imagine the fear he felt moments before he was killed in cold blood. As a young man of his age, I felt that same fear during an innocent encounter with police who I knew viewed me as less than. I'm now nearly old enough to be his grandfather and I still feel that fear when the police are near me. It's the reason why I never let my children leave my sight without reminding them to "be careful," it's a phrase that has a completely different meaning to people of color.
In Nahel M., a Stranger Killed by Police, French Protesters See Friend and Kin
“We don’t forget, we don’t forgive,” crowds chanted as they denounced the shooting death of a 17-year-old from the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
