Don’t Start Nothing, Won’t Be Nothing
Period.
“Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing” is an African American colloquialism often used when one feels that they are being provoked to defend themselves in response to a verbal or physical action of another. UrbanDictionary.Com defines it as “A warning to others stating that if an altercation is to be avoided than the offending party should cease acting in a provocative manor.”
Despite popular rhetoric, African Americans have largely peacefully demanded that government and its institutions cease enacting laws that are economically and socially harmful to the Black community and to demand the abolition of institutions which allow African Americans to be hunted and killed with impunity. African Americans, while far from monolithic, are generally understood to be an extremely forgiving group, who despite the ills of slavery and segregation have gained civil rights largely through nonviolent means.
No militias, no church bombings, no cotton gins used as anchors…
Since the 1964 civil rights act, African Americans have not had to face the level of provocation that the world is witnessing in 2020. In 2020, what African Americans know for sure is that there are those outside of the Black community who are betting on them being meek, humble, and kind in the face of imminent danger.
