It’s been more than 5 years, since Baltimore’s Uprisings in April 2015 following the death of the young Black 25-year old Freddie Gray while in police custody, after being given a ‘rough ride’ by the arresting officers. There has been other deaths and injuries following excessive use of force during police engagement with Black bodies since. George Floyd, whose neck was knelt on by a white police officer in Minneapolis for 9 minutes, is the recent victim of this history of anti-Blackness-this plague of violence.
Like a plague, anti-Black violence is caused by many and affects many. It is a scourge, a disease, an infliction, an infestation, a swarm, a blight, a curse, a persecution. It is perpetuated through contact, between people. The structures in place which make sanity of this violence and make meaning for the people carrying out their ideologies, polices, and dictates have been entrenched for some 400 years in the United States of America. The violence against Blackness lives in the history and legacy of enslavement, land stealing, displacement, segregation, uneven development, under-resourced school, housing, health, transportation, recreation and employment structures and systems. The system of law enforcement, where weapons are used to enforce these ideologies, policies, and dictates takes an especially outward display of violence; like the video image of a white police officer with his knee on the neck of Mr. Floyd even after he gasped he couldn’t breathe and stopped moving.
To stop the persecution we require systems and structures to change so that the people who uphold and enforce them are not infected with anti-Blackness and racism. The police officers who perpetuate violence must be quarantined. This includes methods to stop and rehabilitate them and so as to not continue the pattern of ignoring and accepting of this curse of anti-Black violence that have been encouraged generationally over the years. This process must occur not just in Law Enforcement; it must occur in every system that upholds the structures and directs the behaviors of the people who take meaning and shape their lives and legacies from them.
The nation is experiencing uprisings across the cities since Mr. Floyd’s death. Lawful citizens are demanding justice. Lawful citizens are responding to generational and historic trauma. We know that this recent killing of a Black man in custody of the police has dropped deep into our minds and bodies: our hearts are broken open. Love is demanded in these times, to heal and make upright what has been upside down. Love in action is needed that is bold enough to address the history and evidence of wrong, and make it right publicly: justice.
This is an opportunity for this nation to respond with compassion and power. Our compassion must acknowledge this history of violence against Black people as an infestation coming from the foundation of the country. Our compassion must be powerful enough to silence and remove the current president of this country who continues to uphold the system and structure of racial and social violence. This president’s behavior is not loving and continues to break open our hearts. His demonization of Black protestors after the murder of Mr. Floyd and embrace of white protestors storming a state house with assault weapons -to demand reopening of the economy during a viral pandemic- cannot be ignored and accepted. These outright examples of racial violence cannot be tolerated because it stokes the beliefs, perceptions, and actions of people: like the white police officers in Minneapolis who collectively murdered Mr. Floyd; the police officers in Louisville who collectively murdered Breonna Jones; the white woman in New York who called the police because a Black man told her to leash her dog; the white father and son in Glynn Country, Georgia who felt it was okay to kill a young Black man-Aubrey Ahman– jogging in their neighborhood. All this anti-Black violence occurred in the last 3 months. We need a leader of the United States who does not breed white supremacist hatred through his pores with every breath and stoke an already burning fire of violence against marginalized groups.
The systems and structures must change, at all levels of government, nationally and locally, propped up by all rich and powerful private interests, enforced by all people who participate in carrying out their dictates, simply by accepting and not questioning. We cannot individually and collectively turn our heads and look the other way anymore. We cannot wait until we buy the house, send the kids to college, get that right job, before we act.
We do not need heroes. We need collectives of people from all locations, coming together, affirming the truth, acting from understanding, organizing and demanding justice, now. Out of this, a more honest nation that acknowledges its racist history and legacy and plans, implements, and evaluates changes can emerge.
It seems we have been waiting with patience. We can’t wait anymore. We must courageously act with love to stop this foundational affliction of violence and anti-Blackness, so we can all be safe.
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GO FUND ME campaigns:
Aubrey Ahmad
George Floyd
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
https://www.thecut.com/2020/05/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html
RESOURCES:
- Baltimore Racial Justice Action
- Anti-Racism Resources
- Filling our Cups: 4 Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing (Medium)
- Baltimore and Beyond Mindfulness Community
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice (Medium)
- Self-Care Tips For Black People Who Are Struggling With This Very Painful Week (Vice)
- Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice
- Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
- Demand Accountability (Rep. Ayanna Pressley)
- Black Lives Matter
- Boston Ujima Project
- Mel King Institute
- Anti-Racism Project
- Equal Justice Initiative
- Campaign Zero
- Minnesota Freedom Fund
- Reclaim the Block (MN)
- Black Visions (MN)
- Village of Love and Resistance (Baltimore)
- Baltimore Black Workers Center
- ONEDC (DC)