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Over the past week, the nation witnessed first-hand what many African-Americans have already experienced as a result of systemic racism and police brutality.

Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were killed by law enforcement officers while in the midst of what most Americans would consider routine non-threatening activities.

Castile was shot multiple times during a traffic stop while reaching for his wallet, and Sterling was shot while selling CDs near a convenience store. Though we have not heard official testimony from the officers involved in these shootings and they have yet to be tried in a court of law for their actions, more White Americans seem to be waking up to the fact that African-Americans are more susceptible to being gunned down by cops.

On Tuesday’s special edition of NewsOne Now, titled Black and Blue America: The Race Crisis, Roland Martin spoke with Tim Wisean anti-racism activist and writer, about America finally realizing the Black experience in America is marred by prejudicial judgment on many levels, especially when law enforcement is involved.

Wise told Martin, “People’s awareness is certainly being raised.”

He added, “I think the history that Black and brown people have always known as a matter of survival is something which slowly began to filter into White America. And hopefully that will allow us to sort of break out of this ‘Matrix’-like obliviousness where we’ve been on this ‘blue pill’ for all of these years, not seeing things that Black and brown folks have seen.”

Watch the video above for the full interview.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Watch NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

Subscribe to the NewsOne Now Audio Podcast on iTunes.

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