Chapter 2 Black Lives Matter in the Era of Colorblindness

Spotlight on three Professionals and their take on Black Lives Matter and Colorblindness

Winifred Muhammad, School Counselor and Harlem Native, currently residing in Charlotte, North Carolina 

"No, you are absolutely right. You talked about colorblindness.  The reason why we continue to say black lives matter is because too many people don't want to acknowledge us as black people. They want to say that we're all the same and everybody's lives matter, but in essence, other races have not endured the treatment  we've undergone. So, because of the way we've been treated for, too, too long, we have to make people know that we are just too important for you to keep doing this to us."

Ms. Muhammad is employed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. She can be reached at 704-763-7242 or [email protected]. 

Lawrence Brinson, High School Social Studies Teacher & President of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators, the biggest organization for Public School Employees in North Carolina, currently residing in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

"When it comes to the media and white privilege and especially with the young lady in Central Park, the fact that she was comfortable enough to say out loud that she will call the police and tell them that a black man--that's all she had to say right there. [It shows] that you're comfortable enough to call the police and know that they will side with you before they even ask any questions. One more thing I would like to add is I'm concerned that people look at all of these incidences as individual incidents and say that there's just one bad apple here or a bad apple there. This is a whole systemic issue that comes about, and they try to divide it out and separate the single incidences and not look at it as a whole when they should."

Mr. Brinson is employed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He can be reached at 980-318-4283, [email protected] or [email protected].

Isaac Murray, School Counselor native of Charlotte, North Carolina

"Well, you know, when you're an educated black man, you're perceived differently, by, the higher ups. You're perceived differently when you can conjugate the verb to be.  When you can articulate your position, you are viewed to be aggressive and not assertive, you are viewed to be a threat."

Mr. Murray is a recent retiree actively involved in the community with the organization Men of Atonement.  He can be reached at 704-400-6411 or [email protected].