Why Black Lives Matter #2

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/250 sec, and ISO 400

Why did you decide to get involved with the protests? “Um, well I actually come from a really racist family and proud quote unquote slave owners and up until this past couple months actually, I was forced date only white men because they didn’t approve of it and I would be kicked out of the family. Then I got pregnant by a black man and I got kicked out the family. So, for me being only attracted to black men, I got kicked out of a family. And then, me getting arrested for just coming to a protest, they completely told me don’t even come to any of our events anymore. We no longer want to be apart of you. And like, like I said, enough is enough, black lives matter. I’m not gonna, I’m not gonna to stand for what they stand for just because they’re my quote unquote family. I’ve been shown more love by any black person than I have any white person in my own family. But, yeah!”

What do you want to see change? “Ah, really, I just want everybody to be able to actually walk out in the streets. I want to be walk in the streets with my friends, my brothers, my sisters that are black and not to feel the need stand between them and a cop just because of all the times that they just want to say something, they want to accuse somebody of something because they fit a stereotype. I don’t want to have to be, I don’t want to have to do that anymore. Because not only am I having to fear for their lives, I’m also putting my life in danger by standing between them. And I would also like. I would just want, like, literally everybody to be able to get the same pay, get the same treatment, get the same of everything, and I want white people to understand that white privilidge is a thing. And that I can feel, I can feel safe walking alone to the store because I don’t think a cop is going to stop me. I can wear a hoodie. I can play with a toy gun. I don’t have to worry about my future kids walking out if they’re white, they’ll be okay. But, if I have mixed son, I’ma have to worry day and night what’s wrong with him. What’s gonna happen to school the next day? I have to worry constantly! And, I don’t wanna have to do that anymore. I don’t want any parent to have to do that.”

© 2020 Eric Adeleye, All Rights Reserved

The Humans of Black Lives Matter

Fujifilm X-T3, XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, f/2.8, 1/640 sec, and ISO 250

This is the first post in my series of work where I interview protesters in the Black Lives Matters movement in Memphis. It is crucial to understand the stories behind individuals that have decided to take a stand against police brutality, racism, and injustice.

Why did you decide to get involved with the protests? "Well, mainly because I’ve got god-brothers and god-sisters that are younger than me and I don’t want them taught to live a life of fear like I have. I can’t walk down the street without feeling scared if I see a cop.  I have a car, with, you know, there’s nothing wrong with it, license is good, license plate, no bad record, nothing like that, but if a cop pulls me over, my heart starts racing because he could just feel the need to shoot me just ‘cause.  So, I don’t want them to have to deal with that."

What do you want to see changed? "A lot, like equality, that’s a big thing, but another thing I want to change is like not even just equality for Black people, but equality for everybody. There’s a lot of people that get treated bad.  LGBTQ communities out here fighting for us.  We need to start fighting for them too because they are treated just as bad, if not worse than we are cause they are hated by a lot of people within their own community as well.  So, just equality!"