Since news broke about the tragic death of Nolan Wells over the July 4th weekend, social media has been ablaze with criticism about how Mississippi police have been handling the case. It’s safe to assume that race played a role in Nolan’s death; he was the only Black kid in a group of white friends who didn’t make it home. After his body was found off the shore of Horn Island about 48 hours later, it was evident that an independent autopsy would be needed. Nolan’s case is painfully familiar to my community, echoing a long history of injustice and dismissal of Black humanity. And now, since nothing fruitful has come from the existing “investigation,” protests have begun across Mississippi demanding justice and accountability. We’re seeing firsthand the power that accumulates when we refuse to accept our fate quietly. And it’s only just beginning.At the start of Jackson County’s investigation, the attitude of everyone from law enforcement to some media outlets (who take law enforcement’s word as the unbiased truth) has been “don’t jump to conclusions.” This has not historically been granted when Black people are the assumed aggressor. Our boys and young men are deemed guilty far before a court can decide as much.Nolan’s case is just one more example of a Black person who never made it home. Over a decade ago, Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old high school senior in Georgia, was found dead inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at his school. The case, which was somehow ruled an “accidental” death, made headlines as his family sought justice. A second autopsy found his cause of death to be blunt force trauma. The case was ultimately closed in 2016 without criminal charges.Then there’s Tamla Horsford, a Georgia mother of five who was found dead outside a house after a sleepover with other “football moms” where she was the only Black woman. It was a tragic, curious case that ended with the assumption that she had fallen off a balcony — yet some of her injuries were inconsistent with this theory, per a thoughtfully reported Rolling Stone story. Many in the community agreed that her case was sloppily investigated, then closed and deemed free of foul play. Nolan’s parents have become part of this dark history of having to grieve publicly while simultaneously scouring the internet and everywhere else for answers. Their decision to reject the suggestion of “no foul play” and go on every morning show that they trust to further their private investigation will inevitably shift the pattern of Black trauma. The forces that harmed Nolan may have assumed that the Wells-Wonsley family (and their advocates) would mourn quietly in a corner and let the unsolved case fade into the night. But something contrary is happening. His parents’ public appearances, chilling posts by lawyer Ben Crump, the protests, and the incessant online conversation from genuinely concerned creators will hopefully make it impossible to sweep this case under the rug.The question of how to keep Black American children safe while still allowing them to live full lives is a complex one. Our version of “the talk” is not about the birds and bees; it’s about how to survive interactions with police. We’ve seen these scenarios end tragically too many times. That conversation has expanded to how to survive being the only Black person in a white space. The unfortunate truth is... as Black Americans, we will oftentimes end up in those spaces because there is no true way to completely avoid them. The even sadder truth is that there will be more Nolan Wells, just as there will be more George Floyds and Sandra Blands. And no amount of “talks” can ensure our safety. There is no foolproof way to survive a society that’s so intent on harming us. However, we do have a voice. True justice would mean Nolan was still alive with us today, but we will seek whatever is the next best thing. So, let’s join Nolan’s parents in insisting on more information. Let’s say his name until it’s resounding in their brains. In a society that has never given us the grace or humanity we deserve, we can persist in making evil as uncomfortable as possible. Maybe then, change will happen.