EDITORIAL
Young Folks Are ‘Numb’ to America’s Antics When the Supreme Court ruled last Friday to end a woman’s right to an abortion, the decision compounded what some young people are expressing as a growing indifference to an otherwise bright and promising future. Their transition to adulthood, which enters somewhere between ages 18 and 21, and a time when they are legally permitted to make their own life decisions, no longer feels liberating or hopeful. The word they use to describe their outlook is “numb.” The killing of young Black men and women by police or murders committed by other young people with guns deters their desire to explore the social lives they longed for. Clubs, concerts and parties are unsafe places to go, and so are schools, shopping malls and churches. Some are exhausted from social media’s toxic environment, proclaiming social media-free weekends as a means of reviving their spirits. They are culling their platforms and getting rid of anyone who is not a family or friend. They’ve been told the importance of voting and encouraged to show up and show out at the polls. Yet, their votes are among those being challenged by illegitimate outcries of voter fraud and rules aimed at suppressing their newly-acquired right to vote. And the president they watched during their formative years consistently demonstrated offensive behavior leading to a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, the symbol of U.S. democracy they were taught to uphold. Their graduation from high school or college marked an unforgettable period in everyone’s lives that kept them frightened and isolated for nearly two years due to a deadly COVID-19 virus and its aftermath. Yet, they received degrees and diplomas that will open doors to careers that, in reality, may not afford them to go to college, purchase a home, marry the person they love or plan their families. Throughout their lives, they’ve been told they are the future. Ask them how they feel about it; all they may say or attempt to describe is “numb.” Their destiny is still in our hands and we’ve got to do better for them. WI
TO THE EDITOR
The Albatross of Racism The weight of it is heavy. The burden is enormous. To endure daily, an unapologetic denial of equal treatment in every, single, endeavor you encounter. To know, subconsciously, going into every interaction, that the color of your skin, can play an integral part in it. That pay increases, promotions, employment opportunities, loan applications and even educational instruction, can be altered by the color of your skin, or your place of origin. Generationally, we have been resigned to the premise, that "one day," things will get better. Yet, that "one day," always seems to be just a little further beyond the horizon. So we adapt. We persevere to the degree that our skin color will allow and we strive to do better than those before us, like all citizens of this nation aspire to. But that "second glance" from a police officer, that 'head turn," from the store loss prevention person, or that "inquisitive look" of the cashier, prior to making your payment selection, reminds you, that you fit the stereotype of someone we've been taught to question. Oddly, some Caucasians, will attest this to paranoia, drug use, lower intelligence, or just a person who doesn't have the motivation to do better. In reality, the one that these same Caucasians reside in, they too know that there is this relegation, or unspoken attribute, that is attached to people of color. Envision a scenario where that doesn't occur. To be able to walk freely in a different city, just to see the sights. To have the opportunity to excel, because your family "owns" the largest dairy farm. To have financial support, and "generational" wealth. To get the job because your "uncle" is the manager. To attend the school of "your choice" because it's your mother's alma mater. To be given a warning, rather than a citation. To stay on the same side of the street when approached by a person of color and not clutch your purse, or grip your partners arm tighter. To not stereotype your new neighbor and hope they don't "bring down" your property value. To extend your hand to assist, when it would be just as easy to look the other way. These are weights we must relinquish. For they are the "privileges" of the past that must be removed, so that our full future can be derived.
4 More Years! I’m so glad Mayor Bowser won the Democratic primary! I believe she’s done great things for the District and has shown exemplary leadership. Dawn Reynolds
Long Live the Black Press Congratulations to 195 years of the Black Press. Wow! What a milestone. I look forward to the big 200-year celebration. As one of our community’s oldest institutions, we must keep the tradition alive. Kerrick Milgram
Readers' Mailbox
Freddie L. Brown Kenosha, Wisconsin WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM / THE WASHINGTON INFORMER
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer. com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you.
JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2022 23
