Justice for #EricGarner

As I laid out on the cold, hard concrete for 4.5 minutes, I began to weep. I was not anticipating the Yale Law School die-in demonstration having an effect on me, after all, I had both organized and participated in many protests throughout my young life. But there was something about staring at the infinite sky that brought stinging tears to my eyes.

And when I say tears, I mean sniffly, chest-heaving, uncontrollable weeping.

It was during this time that both simultaneously and instantly, two hands on either side of me caressed my arms to console me.

The hands of relative strangers let me know that they heard me and - in the spirit of this movement - wanted me to be able to breathe.

The hands of Sharif and Felix (as I later learned) differed from mine. We were not the same skin color, appeared to have varying other identities, and went to different educational institutions. But in my time of sorrow, they consoled me after just having met me minutes earlier when we grasped hands to walk from the Yale Law School to the New Haven courthouse with hundreds of others. 

After our relatively short time on the ground, we stood, and I hugged my newfound comrades. We continued to march in silence, but I knew that their spirit was joining with mine as we were the only ones at that point who picked back up the hand holding.

What happened next brought more tears to my eyes.

The people behind us linked hands. 

Although we were in the middle of the group, our actions began a change for those who followed us. 

When those in front of us saw that we were linked, they too grabbed the hands of those standing by them. Our relationship influenced others to be unified.

We went to the courthouse, and, led by an amazingly vocal and passionate law student, chanted together that Black Lives Matter.

All of these diverse voices were chanting in unison for the rights of those who have often been left chanting within our own communities feeling isolated, unheard, and forgotten.

But I did not experience that today.

Sharif and Felix let me know that they, along with the others marching, demonstrating, and chanting, were with me. 

I have indicated through other social media posts that it is about the relationship - the conversations - that we must have in order for others to truly understand that #BlackLivesMatter. I believe that I experienced that most clearly today in those blurry eyed minutes on the ground and the subsequent unification with my activist brethren.

I am excited to look toward the sky once more with optimism, knowing that change IS possible through relationships and empathy and that there are too many who are concerned for this movement to stop anytime soon. 

Justice for Jordan Davis

Earlier this year, I was on the phone with my academic bro and sis about the trial of Michael Dunn. These were the same folks I spent hours crying to regarding Trayvon, and later Mike Brown, and I think I was out of tears at the start of this year. I couldn't bring myself to write another blog or feel anger for another injustice.

But this is an important time in our history. An important occasion to know that people are mad. What hung one jury during a time where the Zimmerman verdict may have been too far removed was not an issue for the current jury, deciding in 6 hours that Dunn pulled a gun out to intentionally shoot Jordan Davis. Shooting Jordan because he was playing loud music. Shooting Jordan because he talked back. Shooting Jordan because he did not know his place in America - and that is to be subservient, don't start nothin, and stay in your lane. Or hood. Or borough. But just out of my way.

There was a slew of folks getting away with murder (no shade to Shonda Rhimes, but killing a Black male is how you really do it) and the ruling today--in the midst of the Mike Brown aftermath--is an important step in the justice of our Black boys and men. Although a life was lost in this tragedy, I am keenly aware that 12 people made the decision to hold a man accountable for the cross-racial killing of an unarmed Black teen. And that such a verdict is exceptionally rare - at least in this type of interracial murder. I am hopeful that this verdict will end open season on our sons, brothers, fathers, and future leaders.

Justice for Jordan. Justice for[ward].

Justice For Oscar Grant

SPOILER ALERT: If you HAVEN'T seen Fruitvale Station, do not read this post.

I am PISSED.

ELEVEN MONTHS?!?!?!?!?

Let me get this straight. The value of the life of black Americans has been no jail time and eleven months for the murderers of Trayvon and Oscar, respectively? Bull.

While the circumstances of both murders were arguably exceptionally different, the common thread - as I've written before - is that of the fear of the black male in America. The police officers involved in the killing of Amadou Diallo, Malice Green, Oscar Grant - I mean gosh, I must've just gotten tongue tied with the loss of life of unarmed black males - looked at Oscar and thought that he was a threat. Why else would they kick and beat someone who was the VICTIM of an altercation on a train? Moreover, why was he targeted on the train in the first place? I'll grant you, movies may indulge in the facts, but I find it believable that Oscar was pulled off the train because he looked suspicious (sound familiar George Zimmerman?).

We're back at the point where because of a stereotype (our black males are inherently bad), society has a right to protect themselves and others from them. This imbalance of power is exceptionally scary when we provide those with power (resources, money, guns) access to differentially treat our black brethren. There is a PROBLEM when folks do not feel like everyone is equal. This means that work not only needs to be done within communities, it needs to be done across the board. Even if EVERY SINGLE BLACK-ON-BLACK MURDER was prevented (the major position taken by several pundits regarding black folks "overreaction" to the Trayvon Martin killing and verdict), the discrimination that leads to crimes against blacks (and perhaps more importantly, that leads to within race hatred and violence) is still alive and well.

I find myself most upset by two points from the Oscar Grant case:

1) The cop got 11 months for killing Oscar. And while this is 11 more months than George Zimmerman, the shooting was recorded and witnessed by several people. Folks argue that since Zimmerman was the only witness left in the Trayvon case, we didn't have the real story. Welp, I just watched 4 videos that all showed the same story: Oscar was shot in the back as he was restrained and held to the ground by two cops. Thus, the unarmed young man didn't even have to do any of the alleged things that Trayvon did to get killed. But alas, his life was taken by a man who believed he was reaching for his taser. I can't state whether the officer really did think it was a taser (though the safety differs drastically, among other things), but I do know that these excuses are all sounding a bit familial...I thought he had a gun (it was probably a wallet, or cell phone, or vile...see previous victims). And, although there was video of a man having his life taken, the murderer was given 11 months (with time served) for this loss of life. [Just as an FYI, average murder sentences are about 30 years with 10 years served, but since the sentence was dropped to manslaughter, he'll never see that kinda time].

2) People are STILL calling for justice in this case. I really don't know if there is anything we can do and it scares me a LOT. I am happy for the momentum from Trayvon's case, but Oscar's slaying was over 4 years ago. What has happened for his justice? What will happen from these rallies? And what the hell is me publishing in a journal going to do for the next possible black male caught in the wrong situation? I don't mean to sound this way, but I'm def despondent. It all feels so overhwhelming and I'm not sure how to solve some of the race-based issues in the US. I know we gotta keep pushing, but dang, when are folks going to stop pushing back?

Pres Obama & the Elephant in the room

This afternoon President Obama addressed the Elephant in the room. Below are some comments that he made:

"But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling. You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago. And when you think about why, in the African- American community at least, there’s a lot of pain around what happened here, I think it’s important to recognize that the African- American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that -- that doesn’t go away.

There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. And there are very few African-American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me, at least before I was a senator. There are very few African-Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

And you know, I don’t want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African-American community interprets what happened one night in Florida. And it’s inescapable for people to bring those experiences to bear. The African-American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws, everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws. And that ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now, this isn’t to say that the African-American community is naive about the fact that African-American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, that they are disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence. It’s not to make excuses for that fact, although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context. 

We understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country, and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history. And so the fact that sometimes that’s unacknowledged adds to the frustration. And the fact that a lot of African-American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuse is given, well, there are these statistics out there that show that African-American boys are more violent -- using that as an excuse to then see sons treated differently causes pain. I think the African-American community is also not naive in understanding that statistically somebody like Trayvon Martin was probably statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else.

So -- so folks understand the challenges that exist for African- American boys, but they get frustrated, I think, if they feel that there’s no context for it or -- and that context is being denied. And -- and that all contributes, I think, to a sense that if a white male teen was involved in the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now, the question for me at least, and I think, for a lot of folks is, where do we take this? How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?

....I know that there’s been commentary about the fact that the stand your ground laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case.

On the other hand, if we’re sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there’s a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace and security and order that we’d like to see? And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these “stand your ground” laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened?

...We need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African-American boys? And this is something that Michelle and I talk a lot about. There are a lot of kids out there who need help who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?

And there are a lot of good programs that are being done across the country on this front. And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African-American men feel that they’re a full part of this society and that -- and that they’ve got pathways and avenues to succeed -- you know, I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obviously a tragic situation. And we’re going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that...."

Whether it is affecting our communities on a more personal level by how we interact with kids we come into contact with or whether its by using our skills and resources to inform research, programming, policy ---- we have been charged with this responsibility. We owe it to ourselves and to our [future] children. 

~BreAnna

White Privilege: America's Love Child

After watching the interview w/ this juror (which I only watched for 10 min b/c she irritated me into a slight ulcer), all I can say is "That White privilege is the best thing created since Top Ramen w/ Velveeta Cheese." You see... White privilege is the unearned advantages for just being White! Ain't that somethin'? That's almost as good as Groupon: the deals just keep comin' at you for no reason! One asks "What did I do to deserve this?" And the answer "Absolutely nothin'!" White privilege nurtures the following: "Race is not an issue", "I don't see color", "I have no doubt George feared for his life", "Rachel wasn't credible b/c of her inability to read cursive." White privilege is also a shield where folks don't have to warn their kids about police brutality or vigilantes w/ guns. You see... White privilege allows for people to not be conscious of their privilege & not see the correlation between privilege & racism. It also allows for folks to be aware & choose not to change! Why would they? It's like a 2 for 1 deal! It is my contention that white privilege was born out of the racist ideologies and practices that is not unfamiliar to this country. While it's against the law to discriminate against others based on race and to commit racial violent acts, white privilege is that "love child" that is protected to substantiate, support, & perpetuate these racist ideologies, without blatantly admitting to it's deleterious ways in which it destroys & depletes the efforts of equality. Welp... I think I'll go rent the movie "White Man's Burden" just so I can pretend, even if it's only for 90 minutes.

Crooked Smile

Unfortunately, Trayvon had to die as a martyr to prove to America that color still divides us. Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon, pursued Trayvon and ultimately took his life. Zimmerman should have remained in his car like he was ordered to by the police.

I was more disgusted with Zimmerman smiling after the verdict than the actual verdict. This individual got away with murdering a Black male which is nothing new in this country's history.

I hope this "post-racial" society wakes up to the gunfire and understand that race is STILL an issue in America and will continue be an issue until we get out of this denial.

Why America is afraid of her own son

I study parenting. Whenever I do a workshop, I ask a parent what exactly it means to be a parent. I have never, repeat, NEVER heard a mom say, "Oh, I want my son to be feared. I hope that I can never look him in the face again. I pray that he has is so uncared for and neglected by society that it will just make me beam."

And yet, that's exactly what we've done for our black sons.

America has been a baaaddddd mother. She stole our black son from another country (well, several other countries...all huddled together under their mother, Africa). She forced our black son to work when she didn't require that of another son of hers. The prized son. The son she reserves all of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations for. No - she thought that working hard would make her black son strong and an excellent source of income.

She didn't anticipate that he would become so strong that she would end up fearing her own child.

She became afraid of our black son the moment she realized he was more powerful than she could ever be.

But she had something going for her. You know when a mother says something, it becomes law. So mother America, in all of her infinite wisdom, created systematic laws that changed the way our son would be welcomed into social circles, if admitted at all, and allowed to interact with her other children. These differences caused such great strife in our black son's life that he had to develop ways to cope with the psychological stressors in front of him.

Ironically, some of her other sons found our black son's style to be so influential that they attempted to mock him at every turn. But there was one thing they could never replicate - his mind.

There was never a moment when our black son forgot he was black. While others were able to decry his color - suggesting he was equal to everyone else - he knew otherwise. Afterall, it was his own mother who told him that he was not good enough to be with other children. That in order for him to be worth anything, he'd have to fit into a mold that has perpetuated the existence of his brothers before him. That to be credible in his own neighborhood, he would have to look like others just to make it out alive.

Or so he thought.

Our black son was coming back from the store. It was raining. Our black son took shortcuts through the neighborhood. It was raining. Someone spotted our black son. The black son who has been labeled as a misfit, a thug, a thief, a rapist, a vile monster was walking through America's backyard. That's a no-no because he doesn't have rights to this land. He is only a visitor - and no - not on his own accord. We have to stop this foreigner from invading our land.

Our black son was followed, and stalked, and assaulted. Our black son fought back, because we have taught our sons to be resilient and to not be a punk. Our black son's life was weighed against the other son's...whose was more valuable? Who had the right to live? The answer was clear - it had to be the chosen one. The child afforded privilege and access to mother America. The child who was so afraid of our black son that taking his life was the only way to win the battle against this disparaged sibling.

Our black son was dead.

Our black son was hated by his mother, the mother who made him who he was. A mother who now has the chance to rectify her wrongs and say she was sorry. Not just for him. But for all the black sons she has left to fend for themselves in this barren foreign land full of contradictions and prohibitions.

Our black sons deserve more. They deserve a mother who wants nothing but the best for them. Father God has given all He can. I only wonder...can mother America ever stop fearing her sons?