NFL Pro-Bowler, Michael Bennett, Brutalized and Threatened by Las Vegas Police
NFL Pro-Bowler, Michael Bennett, Brutalized and Threatened by Las Vegas Police
NFL Pro-Bowler, Michael Bennett, Brutalized and Threatened by Las Vegas Police for no justifiable reason. For those who question the reasoning and rationale of Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand for the National Anthem, the explanation came into clear view once again recently when NFL Pro Bowl Defensive End Michael Bennett was stopped, detained, brutalized and threatened by Las Vegas Police Officers for no other reason than being Black.
While in Vegas for the Mayweather MacGregor fight on August 26, 2017, Bennett was standing in a crowd with hundreds of other people, when a noise that sounded like gun fire cause the crowd to scatter and take cover. During the process of everyone attempting to find a place of safety, Michael Bennett was singled out and stopped by Las Vegas police officers. During this encounter, Bennett was taken down, brutalized and threatened, all while doing his best to comply with the officer’s commands.
Michael Bennett penned the following open letter to explain the ordeal and how he feels about it:
Equality. pic.twitter.com/NQ4pJt94AZ
— Michael Bennett (@mosesbread72) September 6, 2017
What I want to really speak on here is the importance of not viewing through the microscopic lens of an NFL player being harassed but through the lens of historical context, which paints a vivid portrait of the Black Man’s plight in America. You see, Michael Bennett’s encounter with the police is not some one-off experience that cannot be explained. In fact, it has become so common that it is almost expected during every encounter.
One may be tempted to postulate that the rate in which police officers violate the rights of African American men is on the rise, but I would warn against that line of thought because it ignores the historical evidence that frames this behavior. It is not that the hostility that officers have toward Black men has increased exponentially, but rather technology has caught up to reality. Everything is broadcasted immediately. We have now entered an age in which news outlets get their stories from viewers instead of the other way around.
Technology and social media allow us to tell our stories instantaneously, so the truth is more readily available and unedited, unspun and lacking erroneous framing to manipulate the message.
With all of this being understood, we must embrace the responsibility of holding those who move against us accountable. It is absolutely unacceptable to reward those who disrespect us and mistreat us with our time and resources, which are so valuable to us at this point. The NFL has never had the best interest of its players, especially those of color, in mind when drafting its policies and taking its stances.
The NFL is made up of 32 Billionaires and the people who they hire to run their affairs from the Commissioner on down. The Black struggle is of no concern to them. At an average age of 70, these billionaires all come from an era in which the Black man did not have a voice, which explains why they are so taken aback by the actions of Colin Kaepernick.
As a race, we must be prepared to take pro-social actions that benefit us as a whole, and we must adamantly defend those who stand out front to lead the charge. We must not only boycott the NFL, but we must boycott all sponsors and partners of the NFL. Futhermore, we must develop an understanding of all businesses and organizations that fail to promote the advancement of Blacks in this country, and we must withhold our resources from them as well.
~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.
Click here to support the Black Men Lead rite of passage program for young Black males!
Building a Better Black Man
We cannot elude the reality associated with the current state of Black manhood. We can’t pretend that African American adolescent and young adult males are reigning terror on inner-city Black neighbors for power and territory they don’t own.
We can’t pretend that Black men, in significant numbers, have not found it to be an acceptable course of action to procreate and then abandon their progeny. We cannot pretend that the second leading cause of death for Black females between the age of 15 and 44 is intimate partner homicide (predominantly at the hands of Black men).
We can’t pretend that Black men have deemed to be acceptable to openly degrade and disrespect the Black woman. He has attached himself from his responsibilities as protector, provider, leader and more.
The only way that we overcome this social deficit is to address the issue early in life before our young Black males become contaminated with erroneous ideologies and values. This is done through proper and comprehensive racial socialization and the best way to do that is a universal rite of passage mechanism. I created the Black Men Lead rite of passage program to provide young Black males across this country with the access to the type of engagement and stimulation that will build a Better Black Man…
Click here to support the Black Men Lead rite of passage program for young Black males!