I am out of words and hope. I am appalled and disgusted and so sad. I'm also ashamed that until these things started being recorded I was completely naive, living in my own little bubble, not having a clue what my black friends and aquaintances had to live with everyday. I grew up during the riots in Milwaukee, when Martial Law was put into effect and my friends and I couldn't leave our block or go outside after 9 pm. It made no sense to me, at age 13, because all I saw on TV was Fr. James Groppi (white) marching across a bridge in the city with a lot of POC. I didn't understand why this was a big deal. I still don't. Of course, I lived in an area that was completey filled with pink people, no skin darker than olive. What is wrong with people?! Those of us with pink skin have decided we're superior based on what? Then could someone explain why we go out in droves, risking cancer, to get tanned because it makes us "look better"? What kind of circular thinking is required to not see the insanity of that? White (pink) people need to sit down, shut up and listen to what we're being told. It is true. It is horrible. It is unacceptable & must be stopped by us. WE are the problem!
I'm supposed to be working today but can't concentrate with the surge of Hell happening this week.
The brilliant documentary "LA92" (it's on Netflix right now) comes to mind each time this cycle repeats itself. African Americans are literally and figuratively pushed and pushed into corners until the ONLY effective outlet for airing grievance is instigated to the point of violence by cops, and the same trite refrain from presidents and politicians in the aftermath about how the protest and its firey result was "not about civil rights", and absolve us all of blame, or any responsibility to fix the causes, until it inevitably happens again. Every press conference the next day can be superimposed on the last -- "it's the brutality of a mob, pure and simple". Case closed!
I am out of words and hope. I am appalled and disgusted and so sad. I'm also ashamed that until these things started being recorded I was completely naive, living in my own little bubble, not having a clue what my black friends and aquaintances had to live with everyday. I grew up during the riots in Milwaukee, when Martial Law was put into effect and my friends and I couldn't leave our block or go outside after 9 pm. It made no sense to me, at age 13, because all I saw on TV was Fr. James Groppi (white) marching across a bridge in the city with a lot of POC. I didn't understand why this was a big deal. I still don't. Of course, I lived in an area that was completey filled with pink people, no skin darker than olive. What is wrong with people?! Those of us with pink skin have decided we're superior based on what? Then could someone explain why we go out in droves, risking cancer, to get tanned because it makes us "look better"? What kind of circular thinking is required to not see the insanity of that? White (pink) people need to sit down, shut up and listen to what we're being told. It is true. It is horrible. It is unacceptable & must be stopped by us. WE are the problem!
do you follow shaun king? i'm assuming you do. he does a great job of covering these stories.
I'm supposed to be working today but can't concentrate with the surge of Hell happening this week.
The brilliant documentary "LA92" (it's on Netflix right now) comes to mind each time this cycle repeats itself. African Americans are literally and figuratively pushed and pushed into corners until the ONLY effective outlet for airing grievance is instigated to the point of violence by cops, and the same trite refrain from presidents and politicians in the aftermath about how the protest and its firey result was "not about civil rights", and absolve us all of blame, or any responsibility to fix the causes, until it inevitably happens again. Every press conference the next day can be superimposed on the last -- "it's the brutality of a mob, pure and simple". Case closed!
Thanks for your interviews and writing. We appreciate your work, Luke. it helps to not feel alone in the grieving.