The Pandemic

The Pandemic by Cieraa T Knighten

There’s a pandemic going on…

And I am not just talking about COVID-19— I am referring to the one that has been going on for more than 400 years. Racism has been a disease, for not just Americans, but for the entire world. Now, you may be saying “I am so tired of hearing about ‘racism’!” Well, me too, but I don’t have the luxury of just turning off the television or ignoring a blog post—I live it every day.

Do you know what it feels like to be afraid to apply for a professional job because you are apprehensive that they would not hire you due to the color of your skin? No—Well, I have. I was extremely nervous about applying to be the new receptionist for BurnettDriskill. It’s a disability law firm and being a receptionist, you are the first person people see and speak with.

Being black, you often are told you have to have your hair in a ‘professional, neat or tamed way to work in an office setting. Nothing about my hair is tamed or neat. I have thick curly hair but I decided to wear my hair into small ‘locs’ (which some may refer to as dreadlocks). Plus, I have dark skin; I don’t look like the normal fair-skinned woman you normally think about at a receptionist desk. In my mind, I thought “What if I don’t get hired because I am black?”  It’s sad but true. Luckily, they did not view me as just a black woman. They viewed me as a woman who is hardworking and motivated to work. I absolutely love working for BurnettDriskill.

Unfortunately, worrying about if we can get a job or not is the LEAST of our worries.

Every day we are faced with adversities and fears because of our history and what we see on the news every single day. We worry about fitting the description. We worry if jogging in a ‘nice’ neighborhood would be suspicious (Ahmaud Arbery). We worry about driving (Philando Castile and Sandra Bland). We worry about sitting in our living room eating ice cream (Botham Jean)— or (Breonna Taylor) sleeping in bed.  We worry about getting put down like animals by police officers (George Floyd).

Whether the world would like to acknowledge it or not, we know that white supremacy is real and that racism still exists. It hurts to know that some white people think we are overdoing things and that we are over exaggerating. Honestly, that’s what we have been told many times over. But I am here to say I STAND WITH EVERY PROTESTOR. We are tired. We are tired of seeing #(Black Person Name). We are tired of not seeing justice for our black people who have been victims of police brutality. We are tired of being seen as less than when in reality we had played a major role in this country. We are tired of being racially profiled.

That is why we march.

That is why we protest.

That is why we are rightfully angry.

We have been underdogs since we were human trafficked over here. Now, we are standing together to change the world with unity. What’s different about this protest than prior ones? The entire world is protesting with us—people of all colors are starting to see the real issues. We are organized and peaceful.  There are businesses that are standing with us—like BurnettDriskill. There are cases that were closed that are being reopened that had racial motives. The protesting is working and we can’t stop until #BlackLivesMatter. We can’t stop until the police change how they detain suspects. We can’t stop until we have the same rights as white people. WE. CAN’T. STOP.

“You and each of you are important – deserving of respect and fairness. It is a privilege to serve and represent persons in need of help. We share the heart of Ms. Knighten in our efforts to secure justice for all.”

Roger M. Driskill, Attorney