Danye Jones. Say his name. Over and over again. On October 17th, 2018, he was found hanging lifeless from a tree in his own backyard. His lifeless body was found by his mother, a Missouri activist. As a generation that was taught vastly different than our predecessors, I can honestly say I never thought I would live to see someone get lynched in 2018.
For people of color, especially for those of us that were born after the 80’s, lynching has seemed like a scary story. Made up to haunt you and make you afraid of bad people, but no. Lynchings happened every day at one point in this country. Black people could walk miles and see burnt dead bodies swinging from trees. It’s a horror that I can never put into actual words. It’s a nightmare that I feel I’m being swallowed by because how do we stop it?
When will someone be held accountable? Far too many times we have seen cruel and unnecessary deaths just like Danye, and no justice is had. Only scarred minds and traumatized souls are left to wonder, “will I be next?” For those that do not think this case is anything different from what we see every day, on some level you’re right. People have become desensitized to the horrors around them. However this is more than just a horror story someone made up, this is more than just another murder. Danye Jones’s murder is a warning for a history that is repeating itself. Murder, no justice. Murder, no justice, and the cycle seem to continue.
As my hometown just experienced a massacre, finding out this news has put me, as a minority, in a dark and terrifying place. The world needs more light and it needs change, so go out and vote on November 6th. Make the changes where you can, so that we have a fighting chance to not only survive, but to bring justice to those who will never see it.