Whenever tragic news makes national headlines, Black people are usually the first to express their sympathies and prayers. So when far-right activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday (Sept. 10), you could count on Black folks to ignore his past incendiary beliefs and instead offer empathy to his family, friends and followers.
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But in return, Black Americans are now worried what two recent tragedies will result in violence against our community.
Kirk’s shooting came just weeks after an ex-con with mental health issues, Decarlos Brown, was arrested for stabbing a white woman named Iryna Zarutska to death on a bus in Charlotte, N.C. Despite the tragic circumstances of the stabbing, many couldn’t help but focus on the racial aspect of things: a Black man attacking an innocent white girl. As history shows us, whenever this is the case, racists often use this to justify violence against Black Americans.
Fast forward days later when Kirk, who built his platform amplifying views largely opposed to those of Black Americans, was killed. His pro-MAGA and often anti-Black politics views made him a controversial figure in the Black community — although he was well-respected by folks like Trump, who promised to award him a posthumous Medal of Freedom.
He’s become “MAGA’s first martyr,” as TikToker @veronicaandthebabyboo said. With that, grieving Trump supporters need someone to blame…and history once again tells us it’ll likely be the “far-left” and Black people.
To be clear, even if it turns out Kirk’s killer is Black, Black folks as a whole are not celebrating either tragedy. Still, MAGA has already condemned Black Lives Matter and gang violence as reasons to attack us.
According to USA Facts, hate crimes motivated by anti-Blackness continue to be the “most prevalent” in the country. Since 2015, hate crimes against Black Americans increased by 81 percent, the data shows. We’ve seen this rise in crimes against Black folks rise in direct response to societal stress like COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd.
Black folks are too often the “scapegoat” for racists needing a target. And we’re already seeing a new wave of anti-Black rhetoric in response to Kirk’s death. On X, one user, @juiceboxlines, tweeted, “F**k BLM f**k CNN F**k liberals Trump needs to send the national guard everywhere. You mfs are lunatics. Pray for Charlie Kirk.”
Another user, @SpeakLibertyAus, said “BLM burned America to the ground when a drug fuelled criminal died of a heart attack during a police arrest… Iryna Zarutska stabbed/killed & the left says it’s racist to be angry… Charlie Kirk shot dead for *literally free speech, & the left is cheering it on.”
With that, Black Americans — and honestly anyone else in the country — should be worried for what’s predicted to come. When the pandemic raged, hate crimes against Asians rose. After the bombing of Pearl Habor, Japanese Americans were targeted and exiled. The Civil Rights Movement saw an uptake in lynchings of Black people.
Now, the country is at another crossroads as one man’s murder turns all the eyes back to Black Americans.
Straight From 
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