You know. We always talk about education saying it as the answer to everything, yet we never talk about actual lessons. Talking about learning something, everyone knows about our culture: chicken induced diabetes, large rolling stone penises, the list goes on. The feeling “I’m f@cked up” extends to us as a whole when we too only know, nothing else; not thinking about solutions, just leaving our problems at the level of knowledge. We know we are spiraling downward, and nothing else needs to be said. But wait, we aren’t dead yet. I hear cats that say the conversation’s played out—I feel that—why don’t we bring up new points? Let’s consider exhibit A: undeniably racist encounters with police officers are regular routines among us with the dark skin. We know right? On the flipside, learning truly begins when we stop telling ourselves “there’s nothing we can do.”

A little while ago D.L. Hugley’s son gave our youth a safe procedure for dealing with the police: put the situation in the hands of our parents. Even this doesn’t work anymore. Protect and Servers told my brother to leave his phone in the car when he got pulled over. Strategically they left my brother without the option of phoning my mother. Not appalled? Since when has it become necessary to pull a legit driver out of the car for cutting off another driver? That’s exactly what happened to my brother and his friend; if they were wearing white skin a ticket would have had the last word. Creating the image for everyone to see that crime is a “black thing” is a duty outlined in the contract of an officer. Not only are we not supposed to use resources against injustice but we don’t even have the right to dignity/respect. The nightmare continues to seal our eyelids. Mr. mainstream Hip Hop, Jay-Z, also dropped some legal advice back in 2003:

Jay-z: I aint steppin outta sh#t/All my paper’s legit.

Officer: Well do you mind if I look around the car a little bit?

Jay-Z: My glove compartment is lock so is the trunk and back/

And I know my rights so you gone need a warrant for that.

Officer: Aren’t you sharp and tact/

You some type of lawyer or somethin’/somebody important or somethin’?

Jay-Z: Child I ain’t passed the bar/But I know a lil bit/

Enough that you won’t illegally search my sh#t.

Officer: Well we’ll see how smart you are when the canine comes  (99 PROBLEMS, start at 1:33).

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoM5fLITfk

We learn from Jigga that a legal process is based entirely on consent. When the cops proceeded to search the car, something kept my brother and his friend’s lips shut. Perhaps it was the fact that they lost their humanity by being patted down in a public area or even scarier the possibility of being beaten for speaking up, the canine so to speak. We can’t move freely when the folks in blue are around, they have thought out every strategy to dehumanize the black body. It is white America they are protecting; protecting it from the destruction that is falsely destined to occur with black people living in America. Nothing was found in the car, no threat was confirmed by the search, but the objective was achieved: more black males fearing the badge.

I’d love to see curriculum made specially—but not exclusively—for black people, as we deal with existing as problems on the basis that we contain melanin. How we educate ourselves to be nihilistic, to choose to do nothing, to understand our problems as facts has to change. Seeking to establish a universal protocol for addressing the anti-black cop is a step in the human direction for the black experience. The tools are out there. Silence as a safe response to racist pigs is not a response at all because it validates the mistreatment. A non-white open mouth speaking against the wrongs of America is by virtue propaganda, which is to have its mouth closed.  Our political improvements depend upon propaganda that nourishes the creative mind, so big ups to Jay-Z and television shows like “No Ordinary Family” (there’s an episode in which Romany Malco’s character basically says “f#ck you” to the police by using the law). Learn what your rights are and don’t be afraid to exercise them. Spread what you learn, peace lovely people.

P.S. I will leave some resources in the comments section.