Richard Wilbur Collins III, 23, was a senior at Bowie State University and was set to graduate on May 23. He was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Growing up, my parents taught me that excellence would yield results. “Get good grades in school, develop a hard work ethic, and treat everyone fairly,” I was told. While this advice helps black students become decent human beings, it will not protect them from the challenge of being black in America.
The recent killing of Richard Collins, III, exemplifies the extreme terrorism committed against black people. Richard Collins was an exemplary student at Bowie State University, a dedicated second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and a caring son. He was scheduled to graduate on May 23, 2017. Instead, his black graduation robe draped his seat in memoriam to his life.
Despite research that shows black male degree attainment across all levels of postsecondary education is alarmingly low, Collins was the exception. His academic journey was a reflection of his dedication to excellence, service, and leadership. However, black excellence did not protect him. He could not escape the hateful, barbaric stabbing perpetrated by Sean Christopher Urbanski, a member of the Facebook group called “Alt-Reich Nation,” where members post racist and other offensive memes.
How dare Sean Christopher Urbanski take the life of Richard Collins, III. How dare Sean feel that Richard was a lesser person because of his race. Sean did not view Richard as being human. We do not live in the world that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, envisioned when he proclaimed, “I have a dream that little black boys and little black girls will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we all have the right to live with human dignity. It should not matter if a black person has a Ph.D. or a GED; we are human.
Unfortunately, the truth is black students must learn how to excel in their academic journeys, professional careers and social lives, while navigating in a white world. In 1963, James Baldwin gave a “Talk to Teachers” describing the peculiar experiences of Negro students in America. Although Baldwin gave that speech over 50 years ago, much of it is relevant to the black experience in America today. In addition to the hardships of life that everyone encounters, black students must deal with racism, hate, and white supremacy.
We find ourselves at this place again. Whether it is police brutality or hate crimes committed against people of color, it evolves from a resistance against blackness. While I understand that black on black crime and other issues exist for people of color, it is time to stop these racist acts. Of course, Richard Collins’ death is only one of many examples throughout American history. Recently, Jordan Edwards of Balch Springs, Texas, died from a shot to his head by a local police officer. Edwards, an honor student and scholar athlete, served as a model student in the community. During the Charleston church shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Tywanza Sanders, 26, died from the gunshot of a white supremacist. He graduated from Allen University in Columbia, S.C., in 2014, with a degree in business administration. These students join the list of blacks that are treated harshly because of the color of their skin.
The Black Obituary Project is an artistic platform for black people to write their obituaries. All of the obituaries include black lives taken by police brutality. More importantly, the project exemplifies the fragility of life and why we must respect each other as human beings. Ja’han Jones created this project to allow participants to write their own obituaries which empowers their voices and experiences.
In my recent Ted Talk at TEDxSMU Women’s Conference, I discussed my relationship with grandmother, M’Dear, and how she prepared me for life as a black woman. Before I started school, M’Dear would have in-depth conversations with me about everything including race. She wanted me to understand that I was young, gifted and black. In addition to powerful conversations on sharing my voice and walking boldly in my calling, M’Dear prepared me for racial discrimination. She did not want me to be surprised when I encountered racial conflict. It is essential for black parents to have “the talk” with black children. However, it is time for more white people to start having conversations with their family about what it means to be human.
