Why Black America Abandoned P. Diddy
The public lynching of Black Men is not a new phenomenon. It was, after all, commonplace for the majority of American history, and we still see vestiges of that practice plastered throughout media today.
It seems like every year a Black Man is “publically lynched” — on display for open discourse. Whether it’s for criminality, professional misconduct, sexual abuse, or another case of police brutality— it’s not uncommon to see Black Men on trial.
But along with these annual rituals come the fear, disappointment, and anger of Black Americans. Some, like Candace Owens, show apathy for brutalized men such as George Floyd, but that’s a minority. Most Black Americans are just sad to see another “Black Man down!”
This accounts for hashtags such as #FirstThem, a movement started online that challenged the government to scrutinize White men and Black Men equally in the court of law. It’s also common to see marches, protests, and community organizing depending on the severity of the issue.
But the underlying assumption in all these scenarios is the innocence of the Black Man on trial. The history of innocent Black Men being unjustly tried and killed still haunts Black Americans, and many remain suspicious of the justice system.