Let’s talk about what’s really going on in our communities, in our schools, and in our kids’ minds. Let’s talk about the violence that’s running through our neighborhoods like a disease nobody’s trying to cure, yet so many of our children are dying from. And let’s stop acting like our Black children are just supposed to accept it—like pain is part of their DNA.
Every day our kids walk through metal detectors just to get to class. They’re patted down like criminals, not students. Surrounded by security guards with walkie-talkies and handcuffs—not mentors, not counselors. From the moment that bell rings, they’re not being taught to learn—they’re being trained to survive. They are in constant survival mode consciously and subconsciously
And still, we wonder why they act out.
This system doesn’t see our kids as kids. It sees them as threats before they even open their mouths. When they lash out, shut down, or stop caring, they’re labeled “disruptive,” “dangerous,” “a problem.” or prematurely diagnosed as ADHD for expressing themselves the only way they know how. Society is so quick to pass judgment before even asking what have these children been through or what they are going through. Nobody’s checking for the trauma they carry in their backpacks right next to their notebooks.
Let’s be real—our kids are hurting. They are losing friends to gun violence. They are seeing abuse at home. They are hungry because families are forced to choose food or bills. They are hearing sirens for bedtime stories. Some of them have already buried classmates before they even hit high school. That’s trauma. That’s grief. That’s PTSD. But instead of getting therapy, they get suspended. Instead of a safe space, they get locked doors and cameras watching their every move and alienated.
And when they end up in gangs, people judge—but don’t understand. Gangs ain’t always about being tough. Sometimes it’s the only “family” they got. The only place they feel like somebody. You grow up in chaos long enough, you start looking for protection wherever you can find it. And sometimes those gangs provide that protection and family structure.
We live in a world that gets real quiet when a Black child is killed—but screams when they fight back. Where’s the outrage when our babies are gunned down in the streets? Where’s the media coverage? Truth is, society has normalized our pain so much, they think we don’t feel it anymore. But we do. Our kids feel it every day. They just don’t speak about it because they don’t think anyone cares.
Stop acting like violence is just part of the culture. It’s not our culture—it’s our circumstances. And those circumstances were built by poverty, racism, underfunded schools, broken homes, and a system that never gave a damn in the first place.
I don’t know about you but I’m tired.
I’m tired of funerals. Tired of murals. Tired of R.I.P. t-shirts. Tired of pretending our kids are okay when they’re not.
If we want change, we need to stop policing our kids and start protecting them. That means:
Real mental health resources in every school
Staff trained in trauma, not just discipline
Programs that teach coping, conflict resolution, and purpose
Art, sports, and mentorship—not just lockdown drills
Investment in our neighborhoods, not just more cops on corners
Education on their true identity.
Black children are not born broken. They are not the problem. The problem is a society that sees them as invisible and disposable. The problem is adults who forgot how to listen. The problem is a system that criminalizes pain instead of healing it.
So nah, this ain’t normal. And we should be tired of accepting it.
It’s time to fight for our babies like they’ve been fighting to survive. Because they deserve more than just survival—they deserve to live not just exist.
Written By: Nairobi