Here it is, the end of another summer. I would like to say that I had fun; between the concerts, (On the Run Tour, SummerJam 2014), my summer at Rucker Park (Harlem, whats up!) and my lovely job at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, one would think I had the ideal summer. But of course, who's paying you to think?
I would like to say I had the best summer of my life, but honestly a current public event has altered my mood. The fact is I am an African-American female and the recent murder of 18 year old Mike Brown truly and deeply disturbs me. I grew up in Brooklyn, born and mostly raised in Bed-Stuy. Like many of my neighbors I, too, have an aversion towards police. Yes, I understand that most of them are just doing their job but the law enforcement's attitude towards the community they serve is out right unacceptable. And while I do not feel this way about every cop, the shooting of 18 year-old Mike Brown only makes me feel worse.
I know, I'm just another black female enraged at the death of another black young kid, right? Wrong! It's not just his death that disturbs me, but it's the loss of something that could have been, and for Mike Brown, that something is his life. Life, the most precious thing we humans have on this entire planet is constantly taken for granted, yet the public constantly bombards us with images of dead bodies, the dead bodies of children, America's children.
Last year I, along with the rest of the world, faced the devastating verdict of the Trayvon Martin case, a case that hit home for a lot of Americans, including myself. If you don't know, Trayvon was a 17 year-old male killed at the hands of neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman. Although the details of Trayvon's case and Mike Brown's case are different (Trayvon was coming back from the store when he was approached, confronted and killed, while for Mike brown, it seems as if he may have taken cigars in a strong armed robbery, meanwhile an unsuspecting officer ordered him off the street and failure of compliance led to his death), the outcome of the situation remains the same, both young males shot dead, both lay in a pool of their own blood, both parents having to bury their murdered child.
These details are chilling, I'm getting goosebumps as I type. And whether you are a parents, an older sibling, a teacher, or member of law enforcement, the fact is that the murdering of growing children has become a deadly trend, especially those of a minority background. Bodies are piling up as each year goes by, and it seems as if there is no hope in sight.
The events that are taking place after the killing of Mike Brown are making matters worse. In the past week, Ferguson, Missouri (the city in which the killing took place) has experience an intentional withholding of the officer involved in the shooting. This has led to massive protests, the national guard steeping in to settle protesters, news reporters being handcuffed and arrested for exercising their right to freedom of press, protesters being shot with rubber bullets for practicing their right to assembly, sporadic riots, citizens having their rights violated, businesses being looted by angered individuals, and last but not least, the governor declaring a state of emergency in Missouri. With all these events going on and the situation worsening with each day, I wonder, is this 2014? Or 1968? Or 1965? Or 1992? Matter of fact, is this 1955? Has America learned nothing from its past. This all seems too familiar, which is the most devastating part. This has happened before, this storyline has played out many times in American history; the tale of a young black male victimized or killed by the hands of law enforcement or ruling class and the community affected reacts, and by community I mean American community, both black and white. We have looted and rioted and protested and have cried, yet we have not learned. America has not dealt with these issues of race, class, and law enforcement's relation with the community. And we find ourselves right back at square one, with our hearts and head filled with either sorrow, anger, or both.
Now, I did not know Michael Brown, and I cannot vouch for whether he was a decent individual or a bully, but, what I can say is that he was 18 years-old and he was unarmed. Shouldn't he have been given the right to be judged in a room of his peers, if he did commit a crime? Shouldn't he have been given the chance to see the errors of his ways, if he committed any crimes? Shouldn't he have been granted the opportunity to grow and have children, get married, go to school, or even work, and build a career? Shouldn't he have been given the right to live? Before you answer my question, think about your own lives, how far you have gotten? How young and naive you were at 17/18 years-old? Think about how your view of the world has changed since then, or how much you have learned from your teenage years up to now. Think about all the fun you had, all the wonderful moments with friends, all of your mistakes and mishaps, all of your loved ones, and now think about if that never happened at all. Think about if at 18 your entire world ended on a bloodied cement street for the whole world to see. This is the reality of Mike Brown, yet he isn't the only name. There is Trayvon Martin, 17, of Florida; Ezell Ford, 25, of Los Angeles, California; John Crawford III, 22, of Ohio; Sean Bell, 23, of Queens, New York; Timothy Stansbury, 19, of Brooklyn, New York; Eric Garner, 43, of Staten Island, New York; Dante Parker, 36, of California; Kimani Gray, 16, of Brooklyn, New York; Kendrec McDade, 19, of Pasedena, California; Amadou Diallo, 23, of New York; Ramarley Graham, 18, of Bronx, New York; Oscar Grant, 22, of Oakland, California; Jonathan Ferrell, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and of course Mike Brown, 18, of Ferguson Missouri.
I have neglected to mention a lot of other names, some of which I do not know, many of which no one will ever know. Can you guess the connection between all of these names? Well, I'll tell you. For one, all of these males are dead, all of them were unarmed, and last but not least, ALL OF THEM ARE BLACK! The tears on my face cannot express this horrible feeling in my chest. As a person who has a black brother and black father, an African boyfriend and who will most likely give birth to a Black/ African-American son, this is a fate I must keep in mind and a fear I must deal with. Because society neglects to stop or prevent these actions from occurring, I must fear that my unborn child's life will forever be in danger, not because he is a threat, but because there is over zealous law officer and because my unborn seed will be black.
How long, I ask, will this deadly trend go on? People are mad at looters and rioters, meanwhile the focus should be on death of young adults males, black males, who because of their skin complexion or their attire, may not have a chance to live their lives. Before I go, I say to you, my viewers, THIS HAS TO STOP! WE CANNOT ALLOW LAW ENFORCEMENT TO CONTINUE TO PROFILE AND KILL OFF OUR CHILDREN, AS WE ARE ALL GODS CHILDREN AT THE END OF THE DAY. AMERICA HAS HAD BLOOD ON THE ROOT, AND AT THE LEAVES, AND STILL SEEKS TO GROW AND PRODUCE MORE STRANGE FRUIT. WE CAN NO LONGER ALLOW OUR BODIES HANG FROM THESE TREES WHILE THE WORLD LOOKS ON, IN EITHER GRIM OR GLEE, AS WE SWING IN THE BREEZE. THE DAY OF SILENCE IS OVER. THE DAY OF INJUSTICE HAS COME TO AN END. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, WHETHER THROUGH MUSIC, WRITINGS, PROTESTS, DANCE, FILM OR ANY FORM OF EXPRESSION. WE MUST MAKE LIGHT OF THIS OPPRESSION. WE CAN NO LONGER SIT AND HAVE OUR VOICES QUELLED, BECAUSE WE WILL REMAIN A SHELL UNTIL WE DECIDE TO REBEL. AND MY MESSAGE IS NOT FOR JUST BLACK AMERICANS, BUT ALL AMERICANS FED UP WITH THIS TREND. ONLY THROUGH UNITY CAN WE FORCE OUR GOVERNMENT TO CONFRONT ISSUES THEY HAVE NEGLECTED TO SOLVE SINCE THIS COUNTRY FORMED. IT CAN NO LONGER GO ON. WE HAVE POWER, WE HAVE STRENGTH, FOR WE ARE THE PEOPLE!
WITH ALL LOVE AND RESPECT,
ALEX
