Why are we Invisible?

 Why are we invisible? Is it because we are quiet and keep to ourselves? Is it because we lack friends and are unlikeable? Is it because we don’t speak out enough? Could it be that we talk too much? There seems to be a reason why we are invisible however, we can’t seem to figure it out.

Now it is important to note when I talk about being invisible this is not in the literal sense. It is much deeper than that. It goes into the very essence of who we are as black men and how we are perceived, portrayed, and judged. Our very being is given a value determined to be less than based on a perpetual threat that exists.

As black men, we are viewed as beasts. We are not seen as humans with souls. We are often viewed as being incapable of insightful thought and feeling. In addition, it is said we don’t offer anything of value, we are considered angry, and hostile. As a result, people tend to look beyond us. We are looked upon as expendable. Why are we disregarded so easily? Why is it so easy for us to be killed? We have become an endangered species as we have become public enemy number 1.

Black men have been emasculated since setting foot on this soil. We have had to endure being snatched from our homeland, stripped of our language, and pawned off to the highest bidder. We have had to endure our women being raped and our families separated from us. Patrol Systems were created to keep us under control and used to kill us if necessary.

Today, those writing the narrative try to portray black men as dead-beat fathers, with little to no work ethic. We have been labeled as lazy, aggressive trouble makers. Our character is repeatedly questioned and expectations of our advancement is low. Our success is never acknowledged as earned however; it is labeled as it being given to us through someone’s grace. Despite the many obstacles we have overcome and the success we have had in spite of it all we are still considered invisible.

Let it be known that we as black men are strong, motivated, and dedicated fathers, husbands, and sons. We love our women and children and will die to protect them. We are the poster children for lifting ourselves by our bootstraps as we have been given nothing. This country was built on our backs and the backs of black women. We raise our children to be respectful of all people despite those same people not teaching their children the same. We continue to be successful to spite a country that has proven it doesn’t love us. We will continue to fight to be visible, we owe it to the men that died to ensure we have a chance to be seen.