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Amber Guyger Does Not Deserve Our Forgiveness
It is harmful for Black people to be expected to forgive when White people inflict pain on us
Patrol officer Amber Guyger was recently found guilty of murdering Botham Jean, whom Guyger shot in his sleep after wrongly assuming he was in her home. Many outlets have referenced White privilege, his mother’s statement, and the light 10-year sentence Guyger received. Another main focus from the verdict has been the response from Botham’s younger brother Brandt, who insisted on hugging Guyger in the courtroom. Before saying he forgave her, Brandt stated how he wished Amber wasn’t serving any time at all. Though commendable to some, his actions sparked a wider conversation about forgiveness, especially as it pertains to the Black community.
Our pain has been consistently ignored, yet we’ve been conditioned to be complicit and forgive no matter what. Since the moment we were enslaved, Black people have been expected to endure many forms of trauma. From online abuse in the present day to buck breaking and having our babies used as bait, we potentially encounter more problems when we voice being upset. Even in the face of mass shootings, beratement, and police brutality, the focus is often on the mental health of the perpetrator, if not slandering the victim.
Our pain has been consistently ignored, yet we’ve been conditioned to be complicit and forgive no matter what.
Consequently, we are often framed as being in the wrong, despite feeling rightfully angry or upset. This leads to many situations like Brandt Jean’s, where we prioritize the feelings of the White defendant despite the disturbance we are actively facing. It’s hard to tell if Brandt’s forgiveness came from a place of sincerity or obligation. In the event that it was the latter, it could have severe long-term consequences on his mental health — an issue Black people are much more likely to experience. Crime and social issues aren’t the only situations where our concerns are overlooked. In 2016, a study of 222 White medical students found that approximately 50% of them believe Black people feel less pain. Consequently, they’re more likely to follow poor medical practices to the detriment…
