New Hashtag Same Shit. Are we crazy?

I'm going to be blunt.
If you talked shit about Kaepernick as I did initially but have nothing to say about the deaths of black men at the hands of taxpayer funded public servants you are a racist.  Period.  I don't care how many black friends you have.  I don't care if those black friends co-sign your unwavering loyalty to every form of law enforcement. I don't care if they allow you to call them nigga/nigger or any other conjugation present, past, future participle or derivative therein of the word "negro" that you think gives you a black pass.  I don't care how many black people you've slept with so you think you understand us.  You're a racist.  Just own it so we can all move forward with the discussion.  And in anticipation of the usual gutless, victim blaming responses, I've taken the liberty of preparing a list of answers that I'm sure any black person of any origin who's lived in this country for more than 5 years would appreciate.

1. "You're not oppressed!  Look at how much money (insert black celebrity here) makes!  I mean even the President is black!  What are you all complaining about?"

Right.  Because we all share one bank account at the Black Bank of Black America where TyQan and 'em from down the block can make direct withdrawals from the Black America Sovereign Wealth fund in which every black celeb from Oprah to LeBron to Obama makes monthly deposits to hold us all down until our welfare check arrives.  We all must have forgotten about that.  All 37,685,848 of us.

2. "I'm the real victim of racism here!  You and your Black Lives Matter terrorist thugs just want every special privilege for yourself and not have to work for anything!  Hard working black folks don't have time to go protest and block the highways to complain over nothing!"  

For the the slow....let's settle this once and for all.

Racism = systemic mistreatment.
Like a loan officer refusing to approve a mortgage in an affluent neighborhood because the applicant is melaninated (I love that word, thanks Blavity).  Or creating laws that specifically target black people.  You know, the stuff that keeps African Americans from latching on to those bootstraps you're so fond of.  The ones you've probably never had to pull yourself up by while enjoying the massive wealth and privilege that 87 (1776-1863) years of free labor and another 150 (1864-2016) of disproportionately underpaid labor brings.  Oh and let's not forget that if your a white male, you've always had the right to vote and be considered a full person, and been allowed to live wherever you choose.


Prejudice = an opinion usually held by assholes.
A non-white person that hates you, Mr./Ms. Victim of  "Reverse Racism," usually has no power to act on their opinion other than to make you feel bad.  You have the option of literally turning on your heels and go about your life as if that person never existed.  You never have to worry about losing a job because a non-white person said he/she didn't like you.  Unless, of course, you posted some racist shit on social media first...then you're on  your own.  (No, that's not PC bullshit.  It's called not being an asshole.)  As a member of the "default" class/culture, however, your low opinion of us (born out of decades of stereotypes designed to make mainstream America think we deserve discrimination) can create racism...and actually kill people.  Like #TerrenceCrutcher, #PhilandoCastile, #AltonSterling, #TamirRice, #JohnCrawfordIII, #SandraBland and #EricGarner despite the fact that murdering black people for being black is no longer legal.  (Feels like it though.)  If you want to count not being profiled, harassed, strip searched, disrespected, jailed and/or killed by the people who are charged to protect you then yes.  I want special privileges.  All of them.

Gimme.  Gimme. Gimme.

Protests are usually done by students, who don't work because they're in school and by activists who's actual job is bringing attention to cultural issues.  So they are doing their jobs by telling you they want to stop dying at the hands of crooked cops.  If they block the highway, you still get to go home.  It's an inconvenience, not a terrorist act.  Just because you're afraid when a bunch of black folks are standing together in unison doesn't mean....*sigh* never mind.

"Obey the law and you won't get shot!"

Exercising  your rights is not disobeying the law.
Calling out an officer for a bullshit traffic stop is not disobeying the law.
Talking back is not disobeying the law.
Displaying a weapon in an open carry state is not disobeying the law.
Police are also subject to the law.  (At least they're supposed to be)
It used to be illegal for people of different races to marry.
It used to be illegal for anyone other than land owning white men to vote.  The law is flawed and subject to the prejudices (see above) of the people who write and enforce it.
Summary executions are rarely warranted but it happens to black folks way more often than it should given statistical norms.  Yes nominally more white people are shot by officers but rich people pay nominally more taxes than you do too.  Smaller pot, smaller numbers, much bigger impact.


"You never protest Black on Black Crime!"

We do.  All the time.  It just doesn't affect you so you never pay attention until you try to use it to shut black people up.  And stop saying that.  If you want to really go there "White on White" crime kills far more people.  There's only one demographic that has the single gunman mass murder market locked up tight.

"If you don't like it here, LEAVE!"

We built this damned country together.  Brick by lash driven blood soaked brick.  The first man to die for American independence was a black man.  We have fought and bled for America in every war its ever waged and served in its politics before we were even considered human.  Who the hell do you think you are to tell us to leave?  You don't own America.  You never did.

I've already spoken at length about the steps that need to be taken to end this cycle and I'm not one to repeat myself.  However, this cycle of people who are supposed to be public servants disproportionately killing a segment of its employers is the definition of insanity.  Even if you couldn't care less about the people being killed, which you should if you've ever uttered the phrase All Live Matter, it's your tax dollars that are paying for the screw ups of these incompetent "officers." These settlements, which I think are patently insulting by putting a monetary value on a person's potential, are coming out of your pocket.  How about we stop spending millions of dollars in hush money to grieving families and start spending it on hiring better educated officers?  One's that might have a more complete accounting of our history and aren't so quick to pull the trigger because they've been culturally conditioned to believe that all lives really don't matter equally.  Can we do that?  Or am I the one who's crazy?

...Til Next Week.

Congress Grows a Conscience: Just Thought You Should Know 6/17/16

A filibuster for the ages

While the usual script of public figures "sending thoughts and prayers in difficult times" played out in the aftermath of the horrific murders at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Corey Booker (D-NJ), and other Senate Democrats made a decision we've been waiting years to see. They decided to actually do something.  Murphy led a 14+ hr filibuster,  stopping all Senate business, and refusing to give up the floor until they got a firm commitment from Republicans on gun legislation.  Murphy's state was the site of one of the most horrific shootings in American history...Sandy Hook Elementary.  That day, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, murdered 20 1st and 2nd graders, 6 teachers, and then killed himself before police could bring him to justice.  Murphy made sure to drive that point home...

Why does it matter?

While it's highly unlikely that the biggest piece of legislation Murphy was pushing for (a bill proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would allow the attorney general to ban gun sales to suspected terrorists) would ever pass, cracks are starting to form in that impenetrable wall of "NObama" the GOP has been hiding behind since President Obama's election 7 years ago.  We're reaching a point where the no matter how many campaign dollars the NRA throws at Congress, it can no longer overshadow the rising body count.  Even the most ardent defenders of the 2nd amendment are realizing there is no reason for military grade weapons to be available to the public.  

"Gun owners who occupy the middle ground complain that they are rarely sought out or heard, yet polls show that the majority of gun owners support universal background checks and other controversial limits. President Obama is reportedly considering using his executive authority to impose new ­background-check requirements for high-volume dealers in private sales — and many gun owners may support that." -- Most gun owners support restrictions.  Why aren't their voices heard?, Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 10/09/2015

This is one of those "controversial" topics that's only controversial because of the amount of money that's been spent by lobbyists to make it that way.  Saying "gun legislation doesn't work because it doesn't cover illegal guns" is like saying the ban on murder doesn't work because Chicago is a war zone.  Really? Are we really going to buy the argument that we shouldn't save any lives because we can't save them all?  We're smarter than that.  Well, those of us who won't vote for Trump are...

What can I do about it?

It's not often you see politicians do something that doesn't involve lining their own pockets.  While I have no doubt that some anti-gun lobby(s) see this as an opportunity to further their agenda, its an agenda that makes sense to anyone, including myself, that's lost someone they love to a "bad guy with a gun."

These Senators get the Wanderer's Voice Gold Star for standing up for common sense:

Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
Bob Menendez (D-N.J.)
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Dick Durban (D-Ill.)
Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
Ben Cardin (D- Md.)
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Amy Kobluchar (D-Minn.)
Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Mark Warner (D-Va.)
Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Tom Carper (D-Del.)
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
Martin Heinrich (D- N.M.)
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
Angus King (I-Maine)*


If your senator isn't here, you should seriously re-consider if he or she is the right person to represent your interests in Washington or if its you they're representing at all.

...Til Next Week!

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