Yet another incident occurred, resulting in a fatal outcome of a Black person in need. 19 year old Renisha McBride was killed by a man after surviving a car crash. This teenager from Detroit found herself a victim of a scared homeowner with a shotgun. The man though McBride was attempting to break into his home. What makes this story more infuriating, is that the man is claiming that he shot McBride “by accident” How plausible is that?
As some will remember, the similar case of Jonathan Ferrell back in September played itself out in a similar way. The difference is that the police were involved in his case. The common thread here is that it is dangerous for Black people to need help. This evening, The Root led a discussion on Twitter around this incident. Using the hashtag #askingforhelpwhileblack participants recounted stories and feelings around incidents that occur in the everyday lives of African Americans on the dangers of needing assistance. For all of our nominal progress with a Black president, Black billionaires, and millionaires, it speaks volumes about how far we have not come as a nation when a person in need is a threat merely because they are the wrong color.
Another sad case that will be yet another thing etched into the collective consciousness of Black America.
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