So, Now We Care About State-Mandated Violence?
Written by Dahmmy Hilfigger
An ICE agent just murdered a woman in cold blood. What makes it worse is she was a U.S. citizen, someone he as an ICE agent had no authority over to begin with. The event is spurring congressional debates over ICE that include defunding the agency and impeaching Kristi Noem. But the entire time watching this, it’s hard not to feel like all of a sudden we care about state-mandated violence.
Especially at a time like this. As a Black man at 29 in 2026, there’s no version of this I haven’t seen played out on someone that looks like me, and the response was very simply not the same.
Before George Floyd there was Sandra Bland. Before Sandra Bland there was Trayvon Martin, and there were countless others before them—before it was cool to highlight the state-mandated violence that affected Black people in America at a way higher rate than any other group.
I don’t write this with any shock or surprise because it was truly only a matter of time before this spilled over to the rest of America. But seeing this issue be contained, developed, groomed even — in American communities of color — it’s really hard not to feel like this is what America needed.
And I obviously would rather have seen a world without any of this having to happen. But if there is a silver lining to the oppression Black communities and communities of color have been experiencing in America finally going mainstream, finally being present in the minds of white Americans?
Now that it affects them, they might do something about it.
I say that as someone who wouldn’t wish the oppression minorities face in America on anyone. But after years and years — during my life, before my life, and beyond — of America letting these kinds of things slide in the name of maintaining the status quo, can you really blame me for finding solace in a moment when that status quo is 100% flipped on its head?
I’m sure some people still will.
We thank Dahmmy Hilfigger for sharing their contribution with Groundswell! Check out Dahmmy’s social links below.
Made by a human—no AI was used in the creation of this piece.
