A recent shooting spree in Chicago left 53 people shot and 11 people dead, yet many celebrities have remained silent on the issue.
Stephen A. Smith has called out Al Sharpton, LeBron James, the new Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and other prominent figures for their lack of attention to black-on-black violence.
This is an issue that has been occurring over and over again year after year in cities across the United States and it needs to be addressed now more than ever.
The problem with black-on-black violence is that it goes widely unnoticed by most of society because it does not affect them directly.
It’s easy to ignore what doesn’t affect you personally and this is why many powerful voices are so often quiet on this topic.
Yet as Smith pointed out, if one Black person was killed by police there would be riots in the streets; a response that should really be given when any African American loses their life at the hands of another African American—particularly when it happens en masse as we saw in Chicago this past weekend.
There are multiple factors contributing to this issue including poverty, gang involvement, racism within our justice system, lack of education opportunities and resources for inner city youth—the list could go on forever but these factors all contribute to a much larger systemic problem that needs to be addressed head-on if we are going to make any real progress towards ending black-on-black violence in America.
It’s not enough for celebrities and public figures just to speak out against this type of violence—we need action steps put into place that will tackle these systemic problems at their core rather than simply trying to “bandaid” them with quick fixes like increased police presence or harsher punishments for offenders which only serves as a bandaid solution without actually tackling the root cause(s).
We must work together at local levels too; communities need access to mental health care providers who understand how trauma can lead someone into a cycle of violent behavior; organizations need funding from both government sources as well as private donors so they can provide job training opportunities, schools need curriculum changes so they can focus more on helping create a positive relationship between peers while also teaching conflict resolution skills instead of simply pushing students through test prep drills every day—all essential components if we want any chance at reducing black-on-black crime rates effectively long term.
The recent events in Chicago serve as a reminder that silence is no longer an option when it comes to addressing issues like black-on-black crime. Prominent figures must use their platform constructively or risk losing credibility altogether.
Communities must come together locally with tangible solutions beyond just condemning acts of violence. Education systems must make major changes if they want any hope at creating lasting change among younger generations, policy makers must invest money into programs centered around prevention rather than punishment alone—these are all necessary steps we must take collectively if we want any chance at making real progress towards ending black lives being lost unnecessarily due to senseless acts of violence within our own community.
According to ABC:
It’s been a violent and deadly Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with at least 53 shot, 11 fatally, police said. The shooting victims range in age from 2 to 77 years old, representing every part of the city.
The violence occurred despite a collaborative public safety effort that the new mayor hopes to implement all summer. In Back of the Yards, a man was critically wounded in the back, and another man was shot in the face in a South Chicago home.
Police said three people were shot while standing on the sidewalk in the 9100-block of South Harper Avenue when someone drove up and fired at around 1:45 a.m. A 59-year-old man, a 57-year-old woman, and a 77-year-old man were all hit and transported to local hospitals. Over the weekend, 35-year-old William Hair’s family spoke to ABC7 about what happened to their loved one early Saturday morning in Lakeview.
“He was there with his best friend. They pulled up, didn’t have a chance to do anything. His best friend, thank God, was with him, and valiantly tried to save his life, and performed CPR, helped him breathe. My son fought for his life, but he was gone,” Bill said.
Latrell Allen, the man shot by Chicago police in August 2020, sparking a wave of looting across the city, was found guilty last night on all charges, including four counts of attempted murder of police officers.https://t.co/8t13hb8hbG
— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) June 1, 2023
