DEZ CAUGHT IT

by with No Comment FeaturedRace RelationsSocial Issues

My initial reaction to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd was… “and.” “And” in the sense that, a guilty verdict of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter should have been his actual fate. But as Childish Gambino rapped… This is America, a place where we see blatant injustices carried out against Black people every day, recorded on cell phones, and the agents of the state (police officer) almost always found not guilty. 

Instead of channeling negativity, I’d rather echo the words of George Floyd’s brother, Philonise, “We are able to breathe again.” Philonise would go on to summarize the meaning behind his quote by stating, “I told you, we will get justice. And still, we’re gonna fight for you too. We got to fight for everybody.” And that’s where I hope the verdict leads, not to a historical point, rather a historical trend… a trend in which accountability is held by the state when it commits crimes against Black people.

Sorta like Dez Bryant. 

A few years back, the National Football League created a problem thought to have been established when the game of football was invented, what is a catch? This became extremely controversial after Dallas Cowboys Receiver Dez Bryant brought the questioning of the catch rule to light in the 2014 playoffs. Though millions of viewers watching the game, and the broadcast booth watching the replay, no way, based on what we thought a football catch was, would Dez Bryant’s clutch touchdown be overturned and not ruled a catch. After the review, it wasn’t a catch, Dallas, and an entire football fanbase for years feared whenever a contested-catch was made, would it be overturned?

Sounds familiar? 

It seems with each controversial killing by a police officer, we the public, even when empirical evidence such as recordings are presented, the ruling goes in the officer’s favor. 

In 2018, years after ruling against it, the NFL ruled Dez Bryant did in fact make a legitimate football catch, and Dallas should have been awarded the touchdown, lead, and possible victory. Since the ruling was reversed and the NFL has since made several rules changes, there has been far less questioning on catches, and the reviews more consistent. 

There is no doubt, the endless crying from Cowboys fans and hashtag #dezcaughtit had a strong influence on the NFL ultimately resulting in them improving the catch rule. Regarding George Floyd, the verdict and case were clearly amplified by everything from the initial cell phone recording to global protesting, showing that those strong influences could lead to change. Hopefully, it’s long-term change.

Similar Read: Chauvin Verdict

The Significance of Derek Chauvin’s Verdict

by with One Comment FeaturedRace RelationsSocial Issues

Guilty. The one word that signified the end of a three-week trial. The trial of Derek Chauvin on the murder of George Floyd is one that encompasses the remnants of 401 years of inhumane treatment of Black lives in America. George Floyd’s death is reminiscent of that of Emmett Till; galvanizing a new generation of Civil Rights activists to open the eyes of the world to say yes, Black Lives Matter. That we are people too, but more than anything else, we are human. 

This verdict did not come without some angst or doubt that a sliver of justice would be served.  In the cases, of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, and Eric Garner, where was the justice? It has been the Black experience that our lives remain insignificant to that of our counterparts in the eye of the police. 

As we collectively breathe a sigh of relief now that we have a verdict, I cannot help but recognize that this euphoric feeling is only temporary. The verdict leaves me to beg the question, what happens next? What happens to the other officers involved? How will they be held accountable? Would there be new policies to include accountability among fellow officers? How will this change the way policing is done? For a system where ideologies of White Supremacy and racism are inherent, these changes needed to happen yesterday.  

Police Training…

This verdict sets the tone for America to reevaluate policing. It would be wise to consider looking at the training of police forces in other countries, which results in fewer police shootings and murders. We say we need more training, yet it seems the issue is not the frequency, but the length of time, quality, and substance of the information given during training. Too many people of color have been victimized due to those inherent values, mediocre quality in training, and the lack of interest and investment in continual support of the mental health (other than passing a psychological exam) of police officers. It is apparent that the policies and training are far beyond inadequate and lacking.

There is so much work to be done, and it requires all of us to work together to bring about effective change. The only way to move is forward, all of us, together.

George Floyd’s death and the trial of Derek Chauvin will serve as a milestone in how far we have come as African-Americans. The verdict has a special place in our history’s timeline. Just as Emmet Till’s death sparked the Civil Rights Movement, George Floyd’s death is launching a new wave of activists; leading a new era when it comes to justice: accountability. We are nowhere near true justice, but the will and desire to seek and achieve it has become the goal.

This case will forever signify one simple truth that we all know; that we are people; that we are human, but most of all: BLACK LIVES MATTER

Similar Read: Chauvin Verdict

America Doesn’t Need a Patriot Act 2.0

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

While sitting at home attempting to enjoy a relaxing, quarantined birthday, my peaceful mood was shifted to disbelief by reports of White Supremacists storming the Capitol in an effort to overturn the election results. The danger of White Supremacist violence obviously shouldn’t be taken lightly, so I was nervous about how things would unfold and especially worried if Black people in D.C. would be safe. The Capitol being stormed was wild to me, but certain things that took place that day were predictable (yet still disappointing). Police handling the rioters with kid gloves wasn’t surprising since I’ve spent years being painfully aware of the double standard that exists when it comes to the way that law enforcement treats Black people vs. White people. It’s not lost on me that if the rioters were Black, we would’ve witnessed a massacre. It’s also predictable that politicians are calling for unity and healing without any accountability, which is a type of forgiveness and understanding that would’ve never been extended if that mob was full of Black people. A lack of accountability in this situation is a green light for increased White Supremacist violence, and more coup attempts, which worries me. 

There’s another thing that I’m concerned about. A Wall Street Journal article I read on the 7th explained Joe Biden’s plans to pass a domestic terrorism law, which is concerning to me & other leftists, who know that this won’t stop White Supremacists like those who planned and executed the insurrection, but will be used against Black activists, socialists, etc. Plus, there are already existing laws that are meant to prevent these kinds of things from happening. Marginalized people will be disproportionately harmed by the creation of more laws, which is why more laws are not the answer.  

Increased government surveillance is not the answer either. My concern is that our government may implement a Patriot Act 2.0. This idea is disturbing since The Patriot Act already had devastating effects, giving the government more unchecked power and expanding its’ ability to spy on its citizens, which is why we don’t need a repeat, especially when you consider that rioters planned the insurrection openly on social media forums and law enforcement did nothing.

In fact, the role that law enforcement played in the events is probably one of the best examples of why increased police funding will never be the answer. Not only did police basically open the doors for those storming the Capitol, waving them through barricades, taking selfies with them and escorting one of them down the steps, but many of those who participated were off duty police officers from across the country. The connection between White Supremacy and the institution of policing can no longer be ignored, and we can’t depend on police to protect us from the hate groups they’ve aligned with. Any increase in government surveillance or police funding is going to impact Black activists negatively. We’re already surveilled and over-policed by the state as it is. White Supremacy and fascism are the problems, not those fighting against it, and it has gone unchecked in the U.S. for far too long. The events at the Capitol were unfortunate, but there is an opportunity here for accountability. Unfortunately, there have already been attempts to conflate BLM protesters with those attacking the Capitol, and we need to ensure that the wrong people don’t end up facing the consequences.

Similar Read: Until the Revolution of 1776 is Complete