Death by liberty or death by prejudice? In Jericho Brown’s poem Bullet Points, he dives into the impacts of racism as an African American and how it has become a social norm. It is a frightening thought that individuals can be instantly judged by the color of their skin the second they are brought into this world. Brown presents the idea that the American norm for a black male is to face racism and prejudice among “authority” figures like police officers.
Within the last 5-10 years, the people of the United States have become concerned about the uprise of racism in the country. While racism has always been a problem, the death of George Floyd in 2020 has sparked riots and protests. Some of which have been compared to the LA riots after the beating of Rodney King. Brown states, “I will not shoot myself / In the head, and I will not shoot myself / In the back,” (Brown, lines 1-3). In these lines, Brown goes on to explain that before he can even kill himself, the cops will have already done it for him. The unfortunate reality is that people with darker skin have experienced hate from people that are lighter skinned and in higher positions. This has been going on for generations. The fear of being judged, questioned, or possibly killed can be a truly disheartening and dehumanizing thought for individuals to live with.
When it comes to the unfortunate death of a dark-skinned person at the hands of a cop, the people in charge of the aftermath may not show enough affection or simply not care at all. It is common for the victim’s families to file a wrongful death lawsuit only for it to go nowhere. In the poem, Brown goes on to say:
“A city can pay a mother to stop crying,
And more beautiful than the new bullet
Fished from the fold of my brain.” (Brown, lines 31-33)
In this section, the narrator has been shot and killed by the police. The city offers compensation to his mother for the death of her son. This section displays the notion that money does not solve everything, especially the death of a loved one. This offer made by the city shows that they will most likely turn the other way if the mother takes the money. The officers involved then face a lack of repercussions for their actions.
The fight for anti-prejudice and equality has continued for centuries. It is hard to believe that as a country, we are still trying to find a solution to this 200-year-old issue for individuals in the United States and across the world. The circumstance that Jericho Brown details in this poem is a dreading reality that unfortunately many individuals face. We look at the progress that society has made to combat racism, but it is moments like these where we take a huge step back. It makes us wonder how many more protests, outcries, and deaths it will take for this issue to come to an end.
Comments