Unapologetic about his Blackness

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On the trip to the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, one thing that truly caused me to reflect and remain somber were the descriptions of the different lynchings of the young black men and the unforgivable no holding back tone of the tour guide as she described how gruesome these murders were: dragging and shooting bodies, breaking bones, lacerating skin, and causing overall bodily deformities. Another thing that struck a chord in me was the nature of the murder of Emmett Till. I’m not talking about the gruesome nature of the violence, but rather, what provoked said violence. He was killed not for “whistling at a white women” or even giving her any sort of look. No, he was murdered because he wasn’t scared. At 14 years of age, young Emmett Till was killed because he refused to stay in his place. He was young confident and unapologetic about his blackness and his ability, and we see this sort of punishment today and throughout history of black men. This punishment is not necessarily violent, for when you’re told “to be grateful” or “you’re too cocky” or “you can’t do that”, your mind is being punished. You’re told to stay in your place, and that was something the Greensboro boys, Emmett Till, and our Civil Rights leaders never stood for.

-Okezie Okoro

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