Some truths cost everything the moment they are spoken. Ten years ago, Colin Kaepernick took a knee to call out state violence, and the country punished him for being right. That sacrifice is still Black history unfolding.

As a Black woman in America, this is terrifying. But it is also familiar. This is not new fear. It is heightened fear. The difference now is that white Americans are activated because the threat has reached them, because safety no longer feels guaranteed.