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ePaper created 2015-02-22, 17:33:25 | version 1.33.01
URBANSOCIALITES.COM BLACK TEENS ARE SUFFOCATING... 64 Once again, the black community finds itself confronting the evil that exists within and outside of its community. With the recent acquittal of the white officers who are responsible for the deaths of two young black men in Ferguson (MichaelWrite) and NewYork (Sean Bell) many have adopted the slogan“I am suffocating”. Suffocating is the perfect term that comes to mind when thinking about how many black male teenagers are dying in America. Suffocation is defined as an interruption in breathing usually caused by an obstruction in the airways. The condition may be accidental or intentional or may result from disease (Free Dictionary). The community is now focusing its efforts to address those black male teenagers who are dying in America at the hands of police officers but there is another group of black male teenagers who seem to be dying and no one is paying attention. That group is black male teenagers who are dying because they are gay. During the last couple of decades, many in the black community have argued over the similarities and differences between Civil Rights for Black Americans and Gay Rights for Black Gay Men andWomen. However, until the community address the issues of Human Rights our black male teenagers will continue to die. There is no excuse for anyone to lose their life in the hands of another but it is particularly disturbing when young black men lose their lives at the hands of the white police officers who are supposed to be protecting them. The same could be said of the young black gay male teenagers who are dying in the community because their family members, churches and leaders are not protecting them. Perhaps the community should start being aware. Being aware of where their black male teenagers are emotion- ally, physically and geographically at all times. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen because there are so many things that appear to be more BY GRIOT GUY