On Tyre Nichols and Fighting for Humanity’s Existence

“I’m constantly always looking for the silver lining, I’m sure I do that from being an athlete and having to find the lesson in a loss. The only thing I keep thinking about is humanity. What happened to it? There’s been more mass shootings than days in 2023. RIP to Tyre Nichols, killed by police for no reason. Humanity and reform needs to be at the forefront of all our minds.”

with Momentum,

RM

These words from Renee Montgomery sum up a part of many people’s feelings around the killing of Memphis man Tyre Nichols at the hands of five police officers earlier in January. Those officers beat Nichols (this is not a link to the actual beating, but Nichols’ mother speaking) after pulling him over, and Nichols succumbed to his injuries recently. The policeman were fired January 20 and have been charged with second-degree murder.

The one word in Renee’s statement that resonates is humanity. Humanity is part of what drives us to ask important but seemingly rhetorical questions whenever there is an act of of brutality.

When will it stop?

Why does this continue to happen?

When will it stop?

The reason these types of questions seem to have no definitive answer is because of the lack of humanity that permeates every system, entity, corporation and response. We don’t know why acts of bigotry and brutality continue to happen or when they will stop because there are people—people in positions where humanity is needed to effectively be there for the people—choose to be inhumane and allow inhumane things to happen.

“To protect and serve.” That phrase is plastered everywhere law enforcement exists. But instead of it being a reassuring idiom that echoes a track record of actual protection and service, it is a mask that is used to hide a lack of humanity. Understand that those five police officers were not fired, arrested and charged because that police department has suddenly seen the light of accountability. The charges and arrests were made to further cement the misnomer that police protect and serve anything other than themselves.

Back to humanity. Rather, back to those who want to remain humane. We, too, are protecting and serving that humanity. Unfortunately, there are people who do not want to do the same. So drastic tactics are used, such as pushing for people to watch the video of the police attack—insert any police attack here—in order to help sway those on the inhumane side of this to change their hearts. It is incredibly noble and a feeling of kindness to want to desperately fix what appears broken. But some methods are not actual repairs. And some broken places aren’t where the energy to fix things need to be placed. Humanity doesn’t need that graphic a reminder in order to be acknowledged. It is simple as people choosing to do their best do that we are not brutal to each other.

“Each other” is not in reference to solely Black people. This is not a Black issue. We are not our own worst enemy.

This is a systemic issue that stems from those who lack humanity being in positions of power and influence, actively looking to dim that light of connection that makes society a warmer place. The reality is that chance encounters—everyday scenarios that do not need to be used as extreme examples to make a point—could lead to anyone Black being Tyre Nichols. Or George Floyd. Or Breonna Taylor. Or the countless victims of bigotry that has led to more shootings in this country than days in the year 2023. The anger, frustration and sadness is so palpable, even through social media posts.

To you, who still has their humanity close to them:
Do not become desensitized. Protect and serve the warmer parts of you that keep you here and present. There are systems in place designed to extinguish your humanity. While we do not know when it will stop, we must continue to believe that it will stop.

Rest in peace, Tyre Nichols.