I Can’t Breathe

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

Eric Gardner pleaded 11 times that he could not breathe before being suffocating to death by the very people who took an oath to serve AND protect. As I watched the movie Queen & Slim, I sat in anticipation and feeling as if I couldn’t breathe. No worries, no spoilers here. Please watch the movie for yourself. Even as the movie ended and I left the crowded theater to return home, the tightness in my chest and tears continued to flow. I Can’t Breathe.

As a woman of God, I know the Word of God. Deuteronomy 31:6, ” “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” But I am still human and flesh that lives in a world where we often have the sensation that reflects how Eric Gardner felt. I Can’t Breathe.

Every day, I wake and pray to God to protect and cover my husband and all of my boys. When my phone rings, until I know who is on the other line the feeling returns. I Can’t Breathe. It doesn’t matter if the callerID shows the number of my family or UNKNOWN number, the feeling is the same. I Can’t Breathe. A sense of temporary relief rushes over me knowing it’s nothing but a scam caller or my son simply asking what I am doing.

I know everyone that reads this post may not understand how I feel everyday of my life. I Can’t Breathe. Everyone doesn’t know what it feels like to try to live a holy life but have feelings of fear because we are often judged, discriminated against, or even killed just because of the color of our skin. I Can’t Breathe. Some will never understand telling your kids the goal everyday is to just make it home. I Can’t Breathe.

As I look at the innocent face of my grandson, I fear the world he must grown up in. I Can’t Breathe. What can I do? What can you do? How can we help others see our value and worth? How can we create a world where we are all treated equally? How can I stop getting the double stare when shopping while black? How can my son drive my Lexus in a nice neighborhood without being stopped to ask whose car are you driving and why are you over here???

Normally, I have a reason to blog. Today, my reason is simple….

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.

I Can’t Breathe.