Why Black Americans Feel A Strong Need to Protect Each Other

If you think Black people don’t stick together, you’re simply wrong—and the data backs it up. A recent Pew Research study this year revealed that over 70% of Black Americans feel an unspoken way to protect one another, with nearly 60% viewing Black strangers as family. You see it when the community refuses to let Nolan Wells become an overlooked headline, rallying resources like Colin Kaepernick and Tyler Perry to demand answers. You see it when people literally swim across the water at the Montgomery riverfront to defend a brother in trouble. But most of all, you feel it in the quiet, everyday moments: the unknown Black auntie stepping in to tell you to stop acting up because she knows what the police will do to you, or the Black boss quietly putting their neck on the line to shield your job and you don’t even know it. We have always been our own safety net.

Demanding Justice For Nolan Wells

Take how Black folks across the country have come together to demand justice for the family of Nolan Wells. As we previously told you, the 18-year-old went missing and was found dead on Horn Island two days after celebrating the Fourth of July with a group of White friends. Authorities initially claimed there was no evidence of foul play, which could have led to Wells becoming another overlooked headline. Instead, the Black community is ensuring the truth comes out.

Black Creators on TikTok have been keeping people updated on the case, including sharing developments from an independent autopsy. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump stepped in for the Wells family to ensure they get answers, stating he “will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light.”

Along with Crump, former NFL star and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick funded the independent autopsy, while Tyler Perry covered the funeral costs, according to NewsNation.

Related: A DEI Expert’s Take: Howard’s Unenrollment Misstep Isn’t Proof White Schools Do It Better

Protesting For Jordan Neely

Back in 2023, the Black community stood strong in marching for Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Black man killed on a New York City subway by Daniel Penny, a White passenger who put him in a chokehold. Across the country, Black folks demanded accountability and justice for Neely.

Even after Penny was brought to trial and acquitted—despite viral videos showing Neely’s final moments—the Black community protested once again, highlighting how Black deaths continue to be devalued in the United States unless African Americans demand that they be recognized.

Montgomery Brawl

But Black folks don’t only show up for high-profile court cases. Who can forget the 2023 Montgomery brawl? After Dameion Pickett, co-captain of the Harriott II, went ashore to ask the White owners of a private boat to move out of the riverfront space, a physical altercation broke out where Pickett was outrageously outnumbered.

He wasn’t alone on the battlefield for long. Black bystanders began jumping off the Harriott II and swimming across the water to help Pickett fight off the men jumping him.

The moment sparked memes across social media, but more importantly, it showed just how ready Black Americans are to step in for one another.

Everyday Actions That Foster Community

That sense of community shows up in smaller, everyday ways, too. Take the students at Spelman College who braid each other’s hair on Friday nights. Black women know the stress of having to take out or redo braids on a tight schedule. Coming together to help each other out is a quiet, significant way to lift weight off another sister’s shoulders.

We all know the relief of spotting another Black person in a majority non-Black space, knowing someone has your back and will speak up when needed. While the country often feels divided, history, Pew Research Center studies, and real-life evidence show that Black folks continue to protect one another.

That’s what keeps the community strong.