Alton Sterling, a black father of five was the latest victim to be slain at the hands of the police. According to Bustle.com, Sterling is the 114th black man to be killed by police this year.
Sterling was selling cds outside of a local convenience store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when police received a call that he was carrying a gun. When police approached the scene they tackled, stunned and shot Sterling a total of six times. All of this was caught on tape.
Although Sterling did have a gun in his possession, at no time did he pull it out and point it at the officers. He didn’t stand a chance.
It saddens me that the police can continue to get away with murder, that animals lives are treated with more regard than the life of a black person, that five children have to grow up in this already cold world without the presence of their father.
A man’s job is to provide for his family which is exactly what Sterling was doing, by any means necessary. The situation didn’t have to result in the loss of a life. His only crime was being black. It hits so close to home because all I could think about is one of my uncles who sells cds and dvds on the street to make a little extra cash.
Those “officers” can go home to their wives and children at night, Sterling cannot. Hopefully this won’t result in any lashings out against white officers as a result because that will only lead to more senseless killings. Violence only begets violence. But a something needs to happen, like yesterday.
“Now, what we’ve been doing is looking at the data and we know that police somehow manage to deescalate, disarm and not kill white people everyday.” – Jesse Williams
The College Grad
Twitter: @_thecollegegrad
A Black Girl About Town 