This archive report was first published on 6 June 2020.
June 6, 2020, marked a pivotal moment in the United States' history, as the country was in the grip of civil unrest triggered by a series of events that laid bare the racist treatment of many African Americans.
One such incident involved a Caucasian woman who called the police to complain about an African American man 'threatening her life' in a park. The man, however, was calm and had recorded the incident on his phone.
This incident highlighted the quiet truth about life in the US, where the colour of one's skin can often determine whether they live or die in times of uncertainty. Institutionalized racism means that a call by a Caucasian woman complaining about a dark-skinned man can amount to weaponizing an entire police department, with potentially lethal outcomes for the man.
The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a devastating reminder of this truth. The event was recorded and distributed on social media, sparking demonstrations across the US and in many cities across the globe.
The US has struggled with this tribal conflict since its founding, when some tribes were considered so inferior that they were often bought and sold as property. A civil war was fought over this very question, but it appears that the matter has never been conclusively settled.
Due to its position in the league of nations, America must find a lasting solution to this latest tribal conflict for the sake of global stability and peace.
Lukoye Atwoli is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Moi University School of Medicine.
