Yes, we have the technology to capture (and try) to hold police accountable for offenses committed against Black communities. Yes, #BlackLivesMatter and marches and public discourses are helping to bring awareness and change. But, at the end of the day, the truth is, we are still profiled, we are still arrested and we are still murdered at alarmingly disparate rates. WatchCut just released a new video in partnership with This Matters showing how this stark reality affects Black families and the kinds of conversations that parents are forced to have with their children explaining how to respond to and handle police interactions.
“We actually have a line that we do at our house,” said one father. “We practice this thing,” he said, turning to his daughter.”What is it?”
“I’m Ariel Sky Williams. I’m 8 years old. I am unarmed and have nothing that will hurt you,” said the little girl with raised arms.
This heartbreaking “thing” was commonplace throughout the conversations. From a mother and her teenage daughter to a grandmother and two young boys, we see them share their thoughts on good and bad cops, getting pulled over by police and their own personal experiences. And they were all very clear that, in 2017, any interaction with police could be a matter of life and death.
“Do everything that you can to get back to me,” pleaded one mother to her daughter. Press play below to watch the heart-wrenching video, but very necessary, video
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