Letetra Wideman spoke at a press conference following the police shooting of her brother in Wisconsin.
In the wake of his shooting by police, Jacob Blake's sister is speaking out about the need for things to change in America. Letetra Wideman spoke at a press conference following days of protests and unrest sparked by the shooting, which left Blake hospitalized and likely paralyzed.
"When you say the name Jacob Blake, make sure you say father, make sure you say cousin, make sure you say son, make sure you say uncle, but most importantly make sure you say human," Wideman shared Tuesday. "Human life. Let it marinate in your mind. A human life. Just like every single one of y'all. We're human, and his life matters."
Blake was shot in the back by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while three of his children sat in the back seat of the car he was entering when he was shot. Blake was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. The family's attorney stated on Tuesday that doctors believe Blake will be left paralyzed by the incident.
"So many people have reached out to me, telling me they're sorry that this happened to my family," Wideman said during the press conference. "Well, don't be sorry because this has been happening to my family for a long time, longer than I can account for."
"This is nothing new. I'm not sad, I'm not sorry, I'm angry. And I'm tired. I haven't cried one time. I stopped crying years ago. I am numb," she continued. "I have been watching police murder people that look like me for years. I'm also a Black history minor, so not only have I been watching it in the 30 years that I've been on this planet, but I've been 'watching' it for years before we were even alive."
"I'm not sad. I don't want your pity. I want change," Wideman concluded.
The shooting sparked a wave of protests, demonstrations and marches that at times turned violent when protesters were met with armed police forces.
Early Wednesday morning, a gunman fatally shot two protesters in the streets and injured a third. The suspect is a 17-year-old white male who was arrested by police after the shootings.
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