Black Mirror: Just Though You Should Know 7/22/16

 

Based on a true story...

 

Sorry for the late post.  I almost didn't write anything this week because I don't like sounding like a broken record. However, the spectacle we saw at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland only reinforces what most of us who are not swooning over Donald Trump's unconfirmed net worth (release your taxes, Donald) have been saying since he started his campaign. His leadership style is more in line with a dictator than a president.  He is a narcissist, whose first second and last concern is his own profitability and notoriety. Why else would you as a husband allow your wife to be embarrassed the way she was on the podium?  Though if we're being honest, his acceptance speech had even more falsehoods than hers did.  So there's that.

The real reason that I put fingers to keys this week, though, is this guy...

Sheriff David Clarke...oh wait...!

Whoops!  Sorry folks, wrong photo!

This guy...

Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. (Photo: wkow.com)

Watching his last two public appearances, an interview on CNN in which he tried to intimidate Don Lemon and his speech at the Republican National Convention (link) left me wondering, what happened to this man to make him hate himself so much that he uses his position as an elected Democrat (yes he's a registered Democrat) to reinforce willful blindness to the suffering of his own people?  Rather than write him off as a sell-out Uncle Tom, which I'm reluctant to do since I've long advocated the idea that it's black people that define blackness and not the other way around, I thought I'd highlight some of the things that might motivate someone to turn his back on his people.  

Notoriety:

There's an old saying that a dog biting a man isn't news but a man biting a dog is.  African Americans are surprisingly very socially conservative.  Even as a 1st generation West Indian American, I see that most of them believe in the family values, limited government, and personal liberty Republicans constantly drone on about as if they invented them.  Who wouldn't want the freedom to not be stopped, frisked, and questioned because of what you're wearing or the neighborhood you're walking in?  The divide between us and the GOP is that they seem to think only their base is entitled to these rights.  Naturally, that doesn't sit well with us.  So when one of us jumps ship, he/she goes from being just another "plantation" dweller (isn't that such a nonracist way of opening dialogue?) to being "smart", "a truth teller", and "one of the good ones."  Suddenly, you're special.  Acceptance from a group that's long told you your entire existence is "less than human" and whose approval you've been culturally conditioned to seek is powerful.  It's not just African Americans either.  Former Louisiana Governor and failed Republican Presidential Candidate Bobby Jindal and current South Carolina Republican Governor Nikki Haley have benefited politically and financially from "assimilation" even if it meant throwing their own culture under the bus.  Obviously, not every non-white Republican subscribes to this mindset.  Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Former Secretary of State Colin Powell walk in conservatism and self-awareness without compromising their heritage though now it seems the more extreme your views are, the more spotlight you receive.    

Spotlight:

Speaking of the spotlight,  would anyone outside of Wisconsin have heard of Sheriff Clarke if he was towing the Democratic party line?  How about Jesse Lee Peterson?  Omorosa Manigult if you never watched "The Apprentice?"  Stacy Dash if offbeat comedies and late-night B-movies aren't your thing?  How about Trump spokeswoman and failed congressional candidate Katrina Pierson? Being a willing surrogate for racist propaganda can earn you a lot of money. Each of the aforementioned "conservatives" has a warm seat waiting for them on any Fox News show, anytime they want it.   There's a lot of financial security in being able to rationalize racist viewpoints and obviously, the degree to which some people's consciences are eased is directly proportional the number of zeros in their paychecks.  Perhaps some of them fear a return to poverty more than they love themselves.  

Cultural Conditioning: 

There are a few unwritten rules about being black in the United States if you want to thrive (by unwritten I mean no longer codified in law).  The first is that if you want to succeed you have to work twice as hard as everyone else.  Your blackness is already seen as 2 strikes against you so excellence is the only way to even have a chance at success.  If you're average, you're already dead in the water.  The second is that unless you're good at a sport or other form of entertainment, good diction aka "talking white" will get you much further than "talking black."  For you non-Americans/Canadians that means speaking any form of ghetto slang English will usually bar you from getting a job that pays a real living wage.  Third is that you must know history.  "History" being European history or world history from a European perspective.  You must know basics like America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 despite the fact that he found a native population that had been thriving and repelling European attempts at colonization since at least 1000 AD.  You must know that America gained its independence from Britain through the cunning tactics of George Washington without help from anyone else.  Especially not a Native American/black guy named Crispus Attucks who was the first American to die in the Revolutionary War.  You must also know that the only role African Americans played in the building of our country was carrying the terrible burden of slavery that they couldn't free themselves from so white men fought the Civil War to free them.  There were never any attempts by the slaves to free themselves and after the war was over, blacks were free to do as they wished with full rights as equal citizens granted immediately.  In all seriousness, with these socially accepted "rules" in place it's not hard to imagine a black person being inherently ashamed of who they are and seeing assimilation into "white" culture as a step up. It's ingrained into our "education" from day one.

Men like Sheriff Clarke are always a hard pill to swallow for those of us that want to see us thrive, connect, and put this racial crap behind us.  Instead of using his position as a vehicle of change, he uses his blackness and his badge as a shield for racists.  There are other police chiefs that are being fired for standing up for their communities but he selfishly chooses to join the chorus of criticism of a people that have historically never been given a fair shake.  He, and people like him are respectability politics taken to an extreme.  They are a cruel twist on the old saying "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  Like Kevin Durant, however, instead of being hailed as a hero for joining a winning team, you've only proven that you're not built for the fight and would rather take the easy path to victory.  I hope the perks of being a Republican shill are enough of a comfort to you at night, Sheriff Clarke, and that you never take your uniform off because we both know the first thing everyone sees when you take it off.  Oh?  You don't know what everyone else sees?  Ask Senator Tim Scott.  He'll fill you in.

 

...Til Next Week.

Take Care of Yourselves...

Evil flourishes when good men do nothing (Photo: TheGrio.com)

Every time I try to write some dazzling piece about how angry I am or how unfair this is to the families of Alton Sterling and Philande Castille or how something needs to be done, I find myself getting distracted.  If you read this blog regularly, you know I'm not one to shy away from any topic but this week I am not only at a loss for words, I am at a loss for strength, I am at a loss for meaning, I am at a loss for anything resembling the solar furnace of anger that the response to these killings deserves.  Instead, I find myself playing a video game on my cell phone or watching a YouTube video or watching the scenery outside my office or thinking about my upcoming date with my wife. Anything to not have to think about how the fuck this could have happened again.  And again, the usual sides take up the usual positions, each living in their own little echo chamber, spouting the same talking points over and over again like a broken 45 that keeps playing the same half a lyric until you you want to take the entire stereo system and toss it out of your 3rd story window and smile with child like delight as its broken and mangled frame brings the promise of blissful silence.  Except we know that silence will never come.  Not as long as every time something like this happens we rely on cultural conditioning instead of critical thinking to produce solutions.  I grew more and more frustrated with myself for not having the discipline to simply do what I need to do and stop pussyfooting around until I realized that it's not a lack of discipline stopping me.  

I'm self medicating.  

I've heard many in the activist community, talk radio hosts, other writers, and friends of mine sum up their feelings about this week, and 2016 in general, in one word.  "Enough."  Ironically, I realize now that there are some people who avoid the news for this very reason.  I used to chastise them for not wanting to pay attention.  I looked down on them for sticking their heads in the sand like an ostrich and leave themselves just as vulnerable for their lack of knowledge.

"Just because you don't want to hear it and don't want to deal with it doesn't mean it won't affect you!"

After the gut punch of these back to back senseless murders, I empathize a little more, now. They reached their breaking point years ago and for some of them it physically hurts to watch it happen over and over and over and over and over again with no recourse, no plan of action to stop it, no power to change it, and no direction to escape it.  Who in their right mind would be eager to watch the savage deaths of men that could easily be your son, nephew, brother, uncle, cousin, or father?  So, like so many others, I've unconsciously taken steps to either guard my heart or at least try to balance some of the emotional damage with false senses of video game victory, which ironically is what the results of our labor feel like in real life. False victory. The majority of officers who violate the rights of Black Americans go unpunished.  Most white criminals are treated as moral individuals with momentary lapses in judgement that need to be understood rather than vilified as poster children for their race's immorality like their black counterparts.  It's tempting just to shut it off, walk out of the room and make it all go away.  Unfortunately, if we do that, we only give ourselves a false sense of security at best and a disadvantage on the issues that matter the most at the worst.

  

I guess the point of all this rambling is that I've come to an unexpected consequence of being "woke." Battle fatigue.  It really does take a team of people willing to lift each other up to continue the fight, to speak out, to protest, and to demand change because the cause is bigger than anyone of us and its impossible to fight this battle alone.  To the people who have chosen to stand in that gap and position themselves as part that team, thank you.  Writing this blog weekly, I have a newfound respect for people who do this every day.  To the folks that read this blog who put up with my bloviating, sometimes holier-than-thou, writing, I thank you. This space is intended to inform my readers on things they may have missed as well as provide a place for me to download the thoughts I cannot verbally express.  If you choose to follow in the footsteps of activists, remember that all that fire, passion, and energy can burn you out more quickly than you'd like and taking care of yourself and your mental health is priority number 1.  

More Than a Protest Novel: Connecting the Dots - 1.5MillionBlack(Wo)Men Missing

From L to R Kathy Horan, Oresa Williams, Iesha Sekou, Andre T. Williams, and Marlon Peterson

It seems that when we as a people speak out against institutional violence against us, the response falls within one of two misguided narratives.  The first, is that we must have done something to deserve it.  Most people I know personally are intelligent enough to know cheap deflection when they hear it since unfortunately, victim blaming isn't unique to racial issues.  The other narrative supports the farcical notion that because poor black neighborhoods experience extreme violence, something that's more a function of socioeconomic circumstances rather than racial pathology, that we should be silent on institutional abuses until those afflicted communities are a utopia of peace and understanding.  Last time I checked, most of us could walk and chew gum at the same time and its why it always feels like a breath of fresh air when I get to meet people who do it well enough to have made it their life's work.

This panel was an event specifically designed to discuss youth violence in the ghetto, disseminate information on organizations that are trying to combat it, and to brainstorm on what steps can be taken to stem the tide.  The most recent senseless death weighed heavily on everyone's perspective, the unconscionable murder of NY Deputy General Counsel Carey Gabay -- a Harvard grad and fellow Jamerican,   illustrating why organizations like these are needed.  The featured speakers were people who'd been deeply impacted by the violence they'd experienced in their own lives but chose to actively do something about it instead of simply accepting it or letting it break their spirits.

Desean Hill (1995-2003)

Andre T. Mitchell, founder of Man UP!, Inc., spoke about how the death of an 8 year old East New York child, Desean Hill, spurred  him action.  A decade later, Man Up! has grown to be a force for good in Brooklyn, becoming one of the most impactful and effective community groups in the city. They intervene and connect with kids before they fall victim to the lies of the fast life and support them on their journey to adult hood.  Their members also participate in a positive kind of recidivism, giving back to the group that helped them so others can benefit and follow the same path.  Their work has been so life changing, it warranted coverage from local news outlets usually more concerned with black bodies than black success stories.

Marlon Peterson, founder of the Precedential Group, spent a decade in prison for an armed robbery that resulted in death of his friend.  He shared a personal story about how circumstances and bad choices can scar you for life and despite everything that he's done positively since his release, there are still people who will never see him as anything more than a criminal, specifically the loved ones of the person that died as a result of his actions.  He has worked tirelessly with his group to arrest the cycle of violence where they can through his writing, which has appeared in many major publications and websites, and speaking engagements like this.

Iesha Sekou, CEO of Street Corner Resources

Iesha Sekou, founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources, is one of those people who is more of a force of nature than a personality.  She, more than anyone one the panel, made me smile with her unapologetic style and straightforward approach.  I always love those women that not only stand in their purpose but wield it like an Zulu spear, effecting positive change without compromising her values.  Iesha, like most of the panelists shared a personal story of how violence shaped her worldview and how it compelled her to be the voice to the voiceless through her radio show and irrepressible activism.  She's a member of more committees, councils, and organizations than I, ashamedly, can remember but she was by far my favorite panelist.

The story of final panelist, Oresa Napper Williams, founder of  the grief support organization Not Another Child, hit closest to home and was absolutely heartbreaking.  Her son was taken from her when he was 13, murdered by a 15 year old following the orders of a 32 year old thug.  Her story was how her organization helped her become functional again by helping others who were suffering like she was.  She even found a way to forgive the boy who killed her son.  The main reason she was able to do so was because the boy was grieving for her son as much as she was.  He didn't want to do it but the 32 year old threatened him.  To make it worse, it was a case of mistaken identity that the 32 year old tried to justify at his sentencing hearing by dragging Oresa's son's reputation through the mud.  Saying he shouldn't have been where he was or standing or with the people he was standing with as if caused his own death by being at the wrong place at the wrong time.  That kind of scapegoating is all too familiar.  There was one aspect of her story that I found surprising, though.  After her son's death, some of her family chose to "move on" by not speaking his name.  She didn't need to say it but the look on her face was one I recognized as she spoke.  It was like they were killing him all over again.  He existed.  He lived, loved, laughed, cried, and meant something to the people who loved him.  I can't imagine how pretending he was never here, like he never mattered, could be construed as "healing."

The young man's name, by the way, is Andrell Napper.

Petra Lewis w/ Kathy Horan

The night ended with a reading from the best selling novel "The Sons and Daughters of Ham Book 1: A Requiem by the author herself, Petra Lewis, to whom I am grateful for inviting me.  This was followed by a Q & A with former WNYC reporter turned podcaster, Kathy Horan, where shared her personal story of how violence touched her life (stabbed in the leg at a night club, Uncle killed by a hitman hired by an ex, and a friend shot in the head) and she turned her grief into a critically acclaimed novel.  She urged those of us who had been similarly touched to give back through partnering with the organizations represented who've already done a lot of ground work.

It's tough to relate to the horrific scenarios described if you've never lived them but we can all relate to the grief of losing someone you love.  We live, we love, we bleed, we cry, and we hurt just like everyone else and that truth of our humanity should strike a chord with everyone, regardless of background.  Solving violence among our children is important work but also dependent on factors that are way beyond the control of the community itself.  Some of them are familiar like, lack of government funding for education, high unemployment, and poorly maintained infrastructure.  Others are more insidious like media and entertainment re-inforced negative stereotypes and historical precedent of discrimination.  In short, there is a lot of work to do and we'll need all the help we can get.
 
 


Here are a list of links of the attendees with info on how you can get involved.

Man Up! Inc., Founder A. T. Mitchell  http://www.manupinc.org/
Contact: atmitchell@manupinc.org
Not Another Child, Founder Oresa Napper Williams http://notanotherchild.org/
Contact: oresa@notanotherchild.org
Street Corner Resources, Founder Iesha Sekou http://scrnyc.org/
Contact: ieshasekou57@gmail.com
The Precedential Group, Founder Marlon Peterson http://www.precedentialgroup.com/
Contact: precedential@gmail.com
Petra Lewis http://www.hamnovels.com
Contact: Petra@Petralewis.com