Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and don’t necessarily represent the views or opinions of Dove Style Magazine, it’s owner, editor, or other contributing writers.
When Ma’Khia Bryant took her last breath on April 20, 2021, it was the last straw for many of us. While the “flag standing” good old boys on the right told us it was a justified shooting, our eyes and common sense told us it wasn’t. Sadly, it has become common place for police officers to shoot a 16-year-old black girl in the chest four times instead of being able to disarm her. It’s important to specify ‘black’ girl, because this is something you would never see on the television shows, “Melrose Place” or “Beverly Hills 90210.” In my 48 years of life, I’ve never seen a white girl shot like an animal on television, despite seeing them enraged and out of control in front of police hundreds of times.
However, these facts and circumstances didn’t escape NBA Superstar LeBron James. The four-time champion tweeted a picture of the police officer who shot Bryant with a caption that read, “You’re Next.” #Accountability. Even though James was clearly referencing the recent conviction of Derek Chauvin, the officer who murdered George Floyd, Republicans and Fox News used his comments to condemn him. Instead of concentrating on the fact that a 16-year-old year old black girl was shot in the chest four times, the narrative was intentionally shifted to James using his platform to incite violence. GOP Senators Tom Cotton was among the critics who accused him of instigating violence on Twitter. You know Tom Cotton, the Senator who said slavery was a necessary evil.
Most recently, a member of the Los Angeles Police Department Union has demanded that the NBA investigate the tweet sent by James; and who also claims that it was a message to incite violence.
Because you know, shooting a 16-year-old black girl in the chest isn’t violent right?
Quashon Davis is a bestselling, author who is best known for his trilogy: Masquerade, The Dirty Circle, and Suspect Behavior. He was awarded the book of the year award in 2006 from the prestigious Imani Book Club, and the author to look out for in 2017 by the New York Times.
