By: Dennis Richmond, Jr.
Mothers in America keep burying their sons. New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and New Orleans see it. Sons are constantly being buried. Funeral homes keep making money and they barely close. Prisons keep filling up and folks continue to open more. Lawyers continue to take on new clients. Yet somehow, nobody wants to have this conversation.
According to the Violence Policy Center, “Missouri has ranked either first or second in the nation for Black homicide victimization 18 years in a row.” Every summer, more Black teens and young adults are killed, and the outrage fades almost as quickly as the headlines. The same excuses are repeated every time. People blame society. They blame the family, the community, or the government. Folks love to say that a community doesn’t have enough youth programs. Some people even blame music. Everyone points a finger, but the body count keeps rising.
Then comes the aftermath. Families who can barely afford groceries or an electric bill, now have to pay thousands of dollars for a funeral. Not to mention GoFundMe pages pop up too. Social media fills with dove emojis, prayer hand emojis, and “RIP” posts on stories. Candles are placed on sidewalks and sometimes T-shirts are printed.
But then… the tears eventually dry, and the city moves on. The family is left to remember in silence.
This is America folks.
Dennis Richmond, Jr. (@NewYorkStakz) is a journalist, historian, and educator from Yonkers, NY. He writes to uplift unheard voices, honor history, and inspire change.