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White People Want Something From Black People They’ve Never Given to Us: Mercy

Cameron Friend

The issue of ending racism is much more complex than simply hugging a police officer or “hugging the hate away.” The issue is not a ‘lack of love’ from this Black person to a police officer. The issue is a lack of justice. How can I hug someone (ultimately an institution) who is withholding justice from me?

We have been hugging white people since Trayvon was murdered in 2012.

We have been hugging police since Michael Brown was murdered in 2014.

Yet to this day, the same racist system remains in place. I do understand the sentiment of communicating an ethic of love that embodies the best of humanity. The picture of this Black person hugging this officer is powerful. But the only redeeming quality of this photo is that time and time again, Black people are inviting our perpetrators to a better way of living and being.

Black people are CONSTANTLY and incessantly asking white people to take their knee off of our throats. Year after year, we meet white violence with Black grace. Year after year, white people must be convinced that racism is a problem and reassured that, “Not all white people are racist.” Do you know how tiring it is to ask your oppressor to love you when they keep killing your family in the street?

The problem is not a lack of love from Black people. The problem is white people’s refusal to share power at the cost of their own comfort. The problem is that many white people expect to receive a level of mercy they have never holistically shown to Black folks.

You will get no hug from me if:

  • You refuse to undo this racist power structure
  • You refuse to address racism in your own life
  • You refuse to address racism in your church
  • You refuse to address racism in your school
  • You refuse to share political power
  • You refuse to share economic power
  • You refuse to stop suffocating Black people with your white negligence
  • You refuse to arrest police officers who kill Black people in cold blood.

I have no need to hug my oppressor.

I have no need to hug those who hate me.

Give me justice. Give me justice. Give me justice.

Or keep your hugs.

 

10 thoughts on “White People Want Something From Black People They’ve Never Given to Us: Mercy

  1. Stan

    Se don’t want that. We wanted you to join society. Be people. But you’d rather support criminals and a culture of violence and gotchs gotcha on language games. You turned calling us corny into hey that’s racist.

    So just deal yourself. Stop begging us to fix your problems and do it yourselves. Every nigga on tv lives as far away from Your neighborhood as they can fir a fucking reason

  2. stephen matlock

    “The problem is white people’s refusal to share power at the cost of their own comfort. The problem is that many white people expect to receive a level of mercy they have never holistically shown to Black folks.”

    It’s a hard word that you shared to us white folks, but a good one. You have to speak truth; we must listen and work to understand what this means *for us*, right now, in this moment, so that we take action and make changes.

    We’ve made a mess of things, all right, and until we’re willing to admit the truth that *we* are at fault for both creating this division and for maintaining it, we won’t ever fix the core issue.

    May God open our eyes and hearts and minds, and may we repent with such repentance that justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

  3. Annie Chrissy Burley

    do hugs turn into reparations????

    or is that your version of repairing systemic damage….aka (reparations).

    I ask you that question because let’s check what’s in your heart first! Let check what’s in YOUR understanding about race, justice, and Christ!?

    For the “divisive comments” people tend to have.

    The word you believe and say is eternal is divisive, because it has a requirement for man to lay down his self life to have eternal life!!!

    “DIVISION” -because the attributes of GOD are the enemy to the flesh and the systems that the flesh creates. And to GOD the systems that the flesh creates are enemies to Him!

    Keep going with the “division” yall (at The Witness). We divide ourselves from our flesh to unite ourselves with Christ Jesus Everyday . And as we grow in Christ: the peeling of the flesh happens even more. Your being honest Mr. Cameron And Truly they are angry at God. Let them be angry at the God who separates in order to have a good harvest.

    And I know people aren’t going to read this without scales on their eyes.
    But to The Witness BCC, keep keeping your head (Jesus) held high!!

  4. CALVIN JOHNSON

    I grieve for you and repent of the many sins of those of us who are white. The Church does need to repent.
    We need to follow Paul’s admonition in 2 Cor. 5:11-6:2 to come together and work on the Reconciliation through the LORD’s strength and Power. I am in prayer to that end.

    Listen to Dr. Voddie Baucham’s message on Eph.2:11-22 (a fellow Christian and AfroAmerican).

    I was convicted and Blessed by his message.

  5. Thomas W

    Everyone wants justice. There’s no disagreement there.

    1000 hugs for you too.

  6. Cedric

    “May Cameron be hugged by a thousand white people, because he needs to understand how to love others despite their sins.”

    The man said he wants justice, but the focus is still on hugs. Sad.

  7. Thomas W.

    The hugs are part of why the MS flag just came down.

    The finger pointing and blaming set aside for just a couple of weeks is quite empowering, because even if it just lasts for a moment, everyone realizes they are largely in agreement on racism being bad, justice being good, and wanting to make a difference.

    And so it becomes necessary from such articles to post hatred and finger pointing to restoke division, lest we continue to come together. For what would they do with themselves if there was no one to hate in return?

    All this article is, is a reciprocation of what it claims white people are guilty of. Exchanging legalism for just more legalism won’t achieve a better end.

    May Cameron be hugged by a thousand white people, because he needs to understand how to love others despite their sins.

    And may the Witness stop stoking division.

  8. Annie Chrissy Burley

    “I’m thankful Jesus pours out mercy on undeserving sinners (like me), even when I didn’t give him a hug, or want anything to do with Him.”

    Yet:

    “you post a piece about not even so much as hugging a white person. I see not one Scripture in this entire piece. What the heck?”

    And so the higher standards for black Christians continues.

  9. Aaaa

    I’m thankful Jesus pours out mercy on undeserving sinners (like me), even when I didn’t give him a hug, or want anything to do with Him.

    Phillip Holmes, I just read one of your pieces from 2015. You wrote of having married a black woman, despite having dated mostly white women in college. You also wrote that you’d attended a mostly white church. Now you post a piece about not even so much as hugging a white person. I see not one Scripture in this entire piece. What the heck?

  10. Pilisa

    Amen and amen!!!!

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