RACISM
A Black Life Should Be Worth More Than a Bottle of Water
An essay about the murder of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton
Anti-Black racism is an undercurrent in American society, a pervaisive ideology flowing in the opposite direction of the values our nation purports to hold near and dear, like equality, liberty, and progress. All too often, pervaisive stereotypes about Black criminality contribute to a shoot-first-ask-questions-later type of environment that endangers Black lives. And this is not an ideology limited to White people. People of color who buy into racial stereotypes contribute to the violence Black people endure. For instance, Rick Chow, a 58-year-old Asian-American gas station owner, fatally shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old Black teenager, in the back Sunday, according to the Richland County Sheriff's Office. While Chow, the store owner, claimed Cyrus attempted to steal four bottles of water, his accusation was baseless. Cyrus did not steal anything from the Shell gas station, but the irony isn't lost on the Black community that his life was stolen, along with any hopes, dreams, and aspirations he had, experiences he could have enjoyed with family and friends. State Representative Todd Rutherford said Cyrus was "chased down like an animal."
