**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

A guest post by William Jackson, M.Ed. Father, Educator, Blogger

The current political and economic conditions and violence with law enforcement and black-on-black crime call out for justice. The voices of millions of African Americans and those of diverse
color and culture must not be silenced or ignored. Violence is not the answer — engagement of a literacy nature, discussion, dialogue, reading, comprehension and sharing of life experiences is needed.

Our African American elders need to be lifted up and asked for wisdom and experience to guide us through and help us to defeat the challenges that communities struggle with. There needs to be
unity and a common ground for growth and healing.

With digital technologies like Blogging, Vblogging, Podcasting, Microblogging and other dynamic communication platforms, people of color cannot afford to be silent. We have the tools
to express ourselves and challenge injustice.

African Americans cannot afford to be quiet, allowing national news stations to cover the deaths of our sisters and brothers as sound bytes. Black-on-black crime is covered like a disease that can
only be cured by treating all blacks like a virus:  allowing news channels to tell one side and only what they want the public to hear and to learn.

Malcolm X pointed out that the power of the media “will have you loving those who are killing you, and hating those helping you.” The voices of those of culture need to be expressed where the stories are truthful and accurate. When African Americans allow others to speak for them sometimes the truth is distorted, left out and even modified to show a picture of personal and cultural self-hatred,
self-execution and destruction.

Yes, there is black-on-black crime, but that does not mean there should be open season and allowable savagery from those in law enforcement to brutally beat and even kill people of color,
and to violate not only their Constitutional rights, but their civil ones and human rights to life.

The list continues to grow of unarmed boys, girls, men and women executed. The deaths of African American boys, girls, men and women should never go unnoticed, discounted
as human fodder or casualties of some planned war. The killings of Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, and others is a message to African Americans that we cannot bow down to tyranny and that
education, economic equality, political power and alliances are vital.

When you begin to systematically kill boys, girls and women of a culture this is progressive action to genocide. The words of the President of the United States of America should not just be heard, but the digital screams of millions of people of color should be resounding through the government buildings of our respective cities, Congress, House of Representatives, and the Judicial branches of government. This is needed to make progressive and transformative changes that protect and enforce the Constitution of this nation for all people.
Violence will not make progressive change — but education, engagement, community unity, cultural love, respect and unification will. Blacks have to stop running away from their communities and start running
back to them to make changes because conditions will follow them. It cannot just be churches, schools, law enforcement, State Attorneys Offices, City Halls and even City Council members
to change communities — everyone has a part.

Where are African American lawyers and political activists when African American children and woman can be denied the due process of the law? This is not the first time, look at the annuals of African American history and see how children were “gator bait,” women were treated as sexual slaves and field machines, boys were beaten, tortured for sport and men were torn from families to work in inhuman conditions. This was not too far from past histories and if African Americans and People of Color continue to disrespect education, intelligence and intellect it will return. Anyone of our mothers, grandmothers, wives, sisters, daughters, aunts, nieces, step-daughters, lovers, girlfriends could be next to what happened to Sandra Bland and others.

What will happen then? Who will speak for them as their bodies grow cold from deaths’ touch at the hands of men and women who see them to be disposed of like trash?

Who will be calling out the injustices and proclaiming that killings of unarmed and innocent people need to stop?

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William Jackson graduated from South Carolina State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education. He furthered his education earning a Master of Arts in Teaching from Webster University with a focus on Educational Technology. William is also a Social Media Consultant and a presenter on Bullying and Cyberbullying, STEAM/STEM, Internet Safety and his passion — Social Media SWAG. Visit his personal blogs: My Quest To Teach, Social Media and the Church of Christ, and on the Orlando Sentinel blog network HypeOrlando.  Follow him on Twitter @Wmjackson or contact him via email: williamderekjackson@gmail.com.