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Lifestyle2 min(s) read
Published 16:27 02 Sep 2020 GMT
A black teen has gone viral after sharing a list of 16 rules which he should have never had to learn to keep himself safe when leaving the house.
These rules were made up by his mom and she made him memorize them to ensure that he never gets into trouble because of the color of his skin.
Listen to the shocking list of rules below:
[[tiktokwidget||https://www.tiktok.com/@skoodupcam/video/6831990586891930886]]
This comes as findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System showed that black men are three times more likely to be killed by the police.
Not only this, but black men are also 1.5 times greater risk of being the victim of homicide than white men and 3.3 times more likely to be a victim than Hispanic men.
The Hamilton Project also found that despite the fact that recreational drug use rates are the same among black and white men, black men are 2.7 times more likely to be arrested for drug-related offenses.
This is why Cameron Welch's mom gave him a list of rules to learn at 11 and at 18 to keep himself safe and he has since shared these rules on TikTok to give an insight into the reality of life for young black men in the US.
"Just some unwritten rules my mom makes me follow as a young black man #blacklivesmatter," Welch wrote on the TikTok video.
— Don't put your hands in your pockets.
— Don't put your hoodie on.
— Don't be outside without a shirt on.
— Check-in with your people, even if you're down the street.
— Don't be out too late.
— Don't touch anything you're not buying.
— Never leave the store without a receipt or a bag, even if it's just a pack of gum.
— Never make it look like there's an altercation between you and someone else.
— Never leave the house without your ID.
— Don't drive with a wife-beater on.
— Don't drive with a du-rag on.
— Don't go out in public with a wife-beater or a du-rag.
— Don't ride with the music too loud.
— Don't stare at a Caucasian woman.
— If a cop stops you randomly and starts questioning you, don't talk back, just compromise.
— If you ever get pulled over, put your hands on the dashboard and ask if you can get your license and registration out.
This list is a sad reminder of how black teenagers have to worry about things that white ones would never even have to think twice about.
"In this moment in our country, it was necessary for me to use my voice, so I put out the video," Welch told The Huffington Post. "I wanted people to hear and understand the real truth of a Black man's daily experience."