The deaths of Afro-Americans in the United States has worsen the racial crisis and the perception that it is caused by a systemic problem, according to local media and social sectors.
On Sunday, Pastor Jamal Bryant noted that “black people’s life is always in danger in the United States”, something that shows the recent uncertainty existing among the members of the country’s second largest minority.
The preacher’s statements came at the preparations of the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was killed on April 19, a week after a clash with the police, as a result of which he suffered serious injuries in the spinal cord.
Gray’s death raised protests in Baltimore and other US cities, some of which became violent, according to authorities.
On Sunday, Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings said that Maryland’s delegation in Congress had asked the Department of Justice to carry out a civil right investigation into Gray’s death.
According to Melissa McDonald, who said she was Gray’s cousin, he “did not deserve to die like that”, a statement that somehow shows many people’s fears about the way law-enforcement officers act against the Afro-American population.
Exposed to police violence and discrimination, many people in Afro-American communities think that the relationship between security forces and the neighborhood is so tense that it is safer to run away from the agents than freezing.
(Prensa Latina)