For centuries, the mistreatment of African Americans was unfortunately very popular in the United States. From the brutality of slavery to the segregation by the Jim Crow laws, racism has always been a heavy burden on the backs of black individuals. It was not until the passing of the 15th amendment in 1870 when blacks were finally considered “equal.” However, even though time has significantly progressed from the age of hardships, racial prejudice continues to target African Americans around the country.

On October 17, a 24-year-old man named Danye Jones was found hanging from the tree of his own backyard. His entire face was covered in bruises and his pants had been pulled down. His mother, Melissa McKinnies, discovered his corpse the next morning and immediately turned to social media to share her son’s story. McKinnies is a known Ferguson protestor who actively demonstrated after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. She has since then been working hard to defend the lives of other black individuals. A police report lists the cause of Jones’ death as a “suicide,” since a chair was found next to his body. However, McKinnies claimed that her son was never depressed or showed any symptoms of suicide.

“A mother knows her child. He was not suicidal at all,” answered McKinnies. Jones’ family members also said that the bed sheets used to hang him from the tree were not from their house and that he would not have been capable of tying such advanced knots on his own. The most peculiar thing about the entire situation, however, is the way Jones’ pants were pulled down. Oftentimes, during the old Jim Crow days, people would pull down black men’s pants before lynching them to portray mockery and shame. This way, the victim would die in utter humiliation.

In my opinion, I believe that Danye Jones’ death was clearly a murder. There are so many factors that suggest he was killed, including the bruises on his face, the complicated bed sheet knots, and the pulling of his pants, each of which he could not simply do on his own. The reason why this story is so upsetting is that it shows how racism never came to an end in our society. The year is 2018, and we are still experiencing lynchings of innocent black people.

Unfortunately, after the various incidents that have already occurred, it does not seem like the prejudice will ever vanish. Why is it so difficult to be accepting and treat everyone equally? When will society learn to progress rather than recede? Finally, when will black lives matter?