Los hombres en la esquina

Los hombres en la esquina

Today as we were driving to Red Hill, I noticed a lot of men. Black men, African men gathered in the intersections of major streets. It reminded me of the men who gather around outside of hardware stores. In the United States, we call them day laborers. In my head, I call them brave men. 

They are brave because many of them are in the States alone. They left their homes to help their families. Many of them endure sexual abuse, and never report it. They live in fear. Yet they continue to stand outside those parking lots. Its only the way they can provide for their starving children. 

Later I asked the professor what the men were doing waiting in the streets. He said they were probably waiting for work. For someone to pick them up and offer them some job opportunities.

This is thoroughly disappointing. But I am grateful for witnessing this. It shows the similarities between Black/African folk and Brown folk in the United States. We are living in a similar struggle. Solidarity is key. I hate when I hear Black folk in the United States contribute to the xenophobic, anti-Raza sentiments. This trip has given me the knowledge to be able to communicate to Black folk in the States, that their own people go through very similar issues. Instead of fighting one another, we should join together and demand real change.