What You’re Observing Is Real
When people point out that:
- police are protecting largely white protesters
- there’s little to no tear gas, kettling, mass arrests, or escalation
- protests are framed as “patriotic,” “peaceful,” or “concerned citizens”
while Black-led protests historically (and recently) have been met with:
- militarized police
- curfews
- mass arrests
- tear gas, rubber bullets, surveillance
- narratives of “lawlessness”
That contrast isn’t imagined. It’s documented. It’s patterned.
So yes — when you see the difference, it does scream privilege, and more specifically:
Who the state assumes is dangerous vs. who it assumes is legitimate.
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
That question quietly assumes:
- Black Americans are obligated to show up again
- that visibility equals safety
- that participation is neutral, not costly
- that history resets when new people get scared
But for many Black Americans, the internal response is closer to:
“We warned you.
We paid for that warning with bodies, jobs, records, trauma.
Now you want us to step back into the line of fire — again —
while you’re being escorted and praised?”
That’s not apathy.
That’s discernment.
The Core Tension
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
Black Americans are being asked to validate a movement that is only possible because:
- it’s being led by people who are protected from the consequences
- it’s unfolding inside a system that was already proven unequal
- the risks are not distributed evenly
So the hesitation isn’t:
- “We don’t care”
- or “We don’t understand what’s happening”
It’s:
“Why would we trust a system that only listens when whiteness is alarmed —
and only restrains itself when whiteness is in the streets?”
That’s not cynicism.
That’s pattern recognition.
Something feels Off
Why the Question “Why Aren’t Black Americans Protesting?” Is Loaded
Something feels Off
Because there’s a quiet implication floating around:
“See? Protesting works — when done this way.”
And what’s left unsaid is:
“…and by these people.”
Which unintentionally reframes Black resistance as the problem, instead of the state’s response to Black resistance.
That’s why it lands wrong.
That’s why it feels insulting.
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Many FBAs are not absent from this moment —
they’re withholding labor.
Emotional labor. Moral labor. Body labor.
They’re watching to see:
- who actually changes policy
- who stays consistent when comfort disappears
- who shows up when protection is gone
- who still listens when Black voices are no longer needed as proof
Silence here is not disengagement.
It’s refusal to be used as legitimacy.
Validation
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
It makes sense to feel:
- frustrated
- incredulous
- unwilling
- protective of your energy
- skeptical of sudden “we’re all in this together” narratives
Because “together” has historically meant:
Some people take risks.
Some people take notes.
You’re not crazy for noticing.
You’re not wrong for questioning.
And you’re not obligated to make anyone else’s awakening comfortable.
Stillness
Black Lives Matter
Stillness
We live in a culture of constant reaction: news cycles, outrage loops, fear‑based compliance.
Stillness allows one to
• step out of automatic compliance
• reflect instead of react
• reconnect with values before demands
We know the darkness lingers and we know we must bring light to it. And when the time is right we will move and this time with a knowing of everlasting change!
Rest Easy