Black on Black crime: Is this another form of Jim Crowism?

Black on Black crime: Is this another form of Jim Crowism?

“For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:11-13).

By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

“Jim Crow” laws rigorously limited how African Americans may perhaps partake in the social order in America. Jim Crow laws stretched into almost every aspect of public life.

Many whites at the time thought that as a substitute of developing as a race, Blacks were degenerating with the elimination of slavery. Most Southern churches supported this racist thinking; that gave the Jim Crow laws some strength.

Oddly, many Black religious institutions were expected to maintain the Jim Crow laws as white churches did.

Before the civil rights movement became a force, a lot of African American churches bowed down to assisting in crippling their congregations to side with the oppressor instead of trying to end it.

The unrelenting subjugation of one people over another is fundamentally psychosomatic. The overriding individuals use force first to attain their power. Gradually, the people being oppressed commence to feel despondent that the situation can’t change and start to unconsciously believe that the subjugation is their position in life.

Not all laws were enacted in every state, but the Jim Crow laws were dispiriting and far reaching, in order for White superiority to continue.

Recently, I was involved in a town hall meeting about gun violence. Let me offer unapologetically and with my most sincere and heart felt sorrow, my deepest remorseful condolences to those who have been victims and who have lost loved ones to violence by people who share the same skin color.

I am so tired of people using the term Black on Black crime to identify with senseless acts of crimes perpetrated on Black people by Black people, when the same is not extended to other races. It is like we have attached ourselves to something that OTHERS have identified as our own, no matter how wrong or how ugly it is. We just take it as being the law. We never attempted to really understand the origins of such an atrocity asserted upon us. I’m so angry that we as a people have allowed others to continue to fool, use and abuse us by and with our look-a-likes.

There’s violence all over this world.  They don’t call violence from a white person on another white person white-on-white crime. They don’t call Hispanic violence on another Hispanic, Hispanic-on-Hispanic crime or any other race on its own race a race crime, they call it what it is- CRIME. When we do this we are setting the stage for people to use their own racial prejudices against other people who don’t look like them; hint, can anybody say “it’s the new Jim Crow”.

There is a psychological dichotomy that goes to work when racist individuals hear our crime identified as Black–on-Black, it allows them to turn their backs on situations that they would normally engage in out of “respect” for humanity. I might add that for people who try their best to refuse to accept the fact that they are Black, lends this misnomer to their denial.

So many times we as Black people have allowed others to validate our existence of being and we readily except what they are saying as the truth.

How can we allow anything to separate us from being human?

Crime is crime and death is death, violence is violence; no matter who it affects.

Opening his mouth, Peter said: “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing], but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right is acceptable and welcomed by Him. Acts10:34-35(AMP)

If we want to continue to allow us as a people to be ostracized, set apart, and labeled for all of their own lies and reasons then we can continue to believe that Black on Black crime is such an atrocity only committed by us for us on us.

Mutually, the Old and New Testaments express that God does not hold any importance to race. God sees all people as one people called “man.” Fleshly physical appearance is not a part of God’s assessment of man “… for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Samuel l6:7).

BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.” JOHN 13:35