Things were supposed to be different.

After all the protests,
All the social media posts,
All the banners emblazoned across the big-corp websites claiming that Black Lives Matter.

All the hand-wringing and proclamations and statements of solidarity.

Nothing has changed.

Daunte Wright lost his life the same exact way that Oscar Grant did way back in 2009: It was a gun, not a taser.

But who cares? That part doesn’t even matter. More important is, why did a cop need to be tasering him?

Why did they even pull him over?

It was only 10 miles from the courthouse where another white police officer is on trial — a trial that in all likelihood is going to end in him getting away with murder. Literally.

That’s how it has always turned out for these cops before. Should we really expect it to be different this time?

And what the hell happened with the Army Lieutenant in his brand-new SUV who got pepper-sprayed over the weekend?

Why is all of this still happening?

You may be sitting here going, “EssaySnark, dude. Why are you b!tching at ME about this? I’m not a cop. I’m not pulling people over and pulling my gun. I came here to find out how I can get into Harvard. I’m not into these downer posts about stuff I can’t change.”

But here’s the deal: If we don’t keep talking about this, in contexts and in settings where normally it wouldn’t be talked about, then it’s never going to be talked about.

If we all get used to the status quo again, if we are all so excited about the prospects of going out to the bar and maybe booking our summer vacation because finally the pandemic may be ending and life will go back to normal…

If we all pretend that “normal” is fine and dandy, when “normal” means that Black men and women cannot safely drive a car down the street without fearing for their lives, then we’re all complicit.

This shit needs to CHANGE.

“Okay fine then EssaySnark, but what are YOU doing about it??”

Here’s what we’re doing: We’re attending city council meetings. We’re writing letters. We’re researching the realities behind governmental budgetary policies and who is in the DA’s office and why suburban police departments have military-grade armored Humvees as part of their tactical forces.

And we’re talking about it again here, even though we’re supposed to be helping you get ready for your MBA application strategies, or preparing for your Round 3 interview invites.

We’re not letting this go.

We hope that you also are willing to continue this conversation, and not let the idea of true social transformation die just because it’s so last year, and c’mon, we’re tired.

Yes we’re tired.

The type of change needed in America is going to require all of us looking in the mirror and looking deep inside and looking at what’s fair and right. The color of your skin should not dictate your odds of survival, but actually, right now, it totally does.