After Texas shooting, local black community asks: Will our lives ever matter?

We have been killed in the park or during a shopping trip.

We have been shot after knocking on the door of a home to ask for help.

We’ve been slain during traffic stops in front of our loved ones, or fatally wounded walking home from the store with an iced tea.

As we mourn the death of Atatiana Jefferson in Fort Worth, Texas, black people have to worry about being shot by police at home.

The recent shooting of Jefferson by a white police officer, who has been arrested and charged with murder, has left the black community shaken, sickened and feeling hopeless in the face of yet another tragedy. Once again, we have to ask, “Will black lives ever matter?”

Or, will we be forever dehumanized and seen as disposable? As it stands, black people are often harassed for engaging in mundane activities that others take for granted; we are profiled just for living in our skin. Now, we can no longer find safety or security in our living spaces.

News reports say that Jefferson, 28, who had hoped to apply to medical school, had been playing video games late into the evening and early morning with her 8-year-old nephew when she was shot to death through her bedroom window.

Body camera footage of the incident shows that the officers walking around the backyard of Jefferson’s home never identified themselves as such. That police found a gun inside the Jefferson home is beside the point, as she was legally within her right to possess a firearm.

One New York Times article about the killing noted that the officer, Aaron Dean, had “perceived a threat.”

The incident is still under investigation, but it may be that Jefferson feared for her life, given that she heard rustling outside of her home in the wee hours of the morning. A neighbor, also black, who called a non-emergency number when he observed open doors to the home, regrets alerting authorities.

There have been calls from members of the black community and racial justice advocates to stop calling the police, especially in non-emergency situations. Even in our small community, there’s fear that a routine welfare check could be potential danger to black people.

Should we be afraid of contacting the police to check on our neighbors if we believe they need help? If we can’t call on those sworn to protect and serve, whom should we call? Because we know the consequences of making those calls could be deadly, those in our community have begun to discuss ways to reach out to family, friends and neighbors instead of calling on law enforcement. This shouldn’t be so.

Sadly, Jefferson’s death comes on the heels of the murder of Botham Jean, a 26-year-old black man who was killed by a white, off-duty police officer. Jean had been sitting in his apartment, reportedly eating ice cream, when Amber Guyger opened fire. Guyger, who said she mistakenly thought Jean was an intruder in her apartment, was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Even though some have argued the sentence was too lenient given the crime, the black community breathed a collective sigh of relief. In this case, at least some measure of justice had been served. However, one undeniable fact remains. In this country, there’s an entrenched fear of black bodies.

At times like these, it’s easy to despair, but we must be vigilant, and demand more from our police departments to stop the profiling, excessive force and unnecessary police killings. Some police departments are taking steps to address it, including implicit bias training and hiring more officers from communities of color.

In San Luis Obispo, we recognize the police department for its efforts through PACT (Police And Community Together), to promote community building and dialogue with members of marginalized communities. Even so, the distrust of police, particularly among black people, is well reasoned and enhanced after the repeated trauma of police violence. No family in our community, or any other, should ever have to experience the horror of losing a loved one in this way.

As an organization R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County is committed to racial justice. We hold out hope, even in these dark days, that justice comes for the Jefferson family. The ugly strain of anti-blackness in our society steals far too many lives.

Julie Lynem is writing on behalf of R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County, a community-based organization committed to amplifying voices of Black and other People of Color in an effort to build an actively anti-racist Central Coast. The mission is to center the lived experiences of Black and other People of Color through anti-racism education and cultural projects. Lynem is a former Tribune reporter and editor.

This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 4:41 PM.