After hearing about the tragic deaths of black youth such as Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, it emphasizes my belief that black lives matter. We have the media portraying blacks as low-life thugs, deadbeat dads, or drug dealers. But that's a negative stereotype. The media does a great job of creating or encouraging negative stereotypes of blacks in America. Just like Muslim are believed to be violent terrorists are believed to be oppressed for covering their hair and body. It's even worse if you're black and Muslim. That's the same as having two lashes across your back. They took the lives of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. But what most people don't know is that we lost three more black youths last month in Indiana. There was no media coverage for these three boys who were murdered execution style. Adam Tairab was only 17 years old. Adam Kamal Mekki was only 20 years old, and Mohammed Taha Omar was only 23 years old. These boys were all Sudanese, with two of them being Muslim and one of them being Christian. Their families came here from looking for a better life they never imagined that they would lose their sons like this. Sudan is right next to Eritrea, where my own family came from. So yes, this hits me hard, especially because I have a lot of Sudanese friends this could've easily been one of them. Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are probably turning in the graves right now. Their dream for racial equality has yet to be fully realized. Now we have another growing issue in the United States: the rise of xenophobia. During spring break, I turned the candle light vigil for the three other men or murdered in Indiana. One of the speakers at the vigil was from the DMV chapter of black lives matter. She said something that really stuck with me. She said, "Islamophobia is real. Islamophobia, along with anti-blackness in this country, is a death sentence for many." Is really got to me because Islamophobia and anti-blackness are what I deal with on a daily basis. It affects my family, my friends, and I. I've come to fear the safety of everyone around me, including myself. I feel that these problems will be around for future generations. Although it's been a little over 50 years of civil rights , it began that you're still dealing with issues involving racism today. But we won't give up in our fight for equality. We will continue to fight for it no matter what. We will make this dream become a reality. No matter how long it takes, it will happen. And we will never give up because the blessing is in the struggle.
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