Dear Facebookers and bloggers who
have been posting about Ferguson,
If you’ve seen
my posts on this topic, you know that I stand with Mike Brown’s family and the
protesters. You might not, and it’s true that we all have a right to our own
opinions. But if you support Darren Wilson or are opposed to the protests,
please keep these five things in mind.
If you refer to protesters as “animals” or “savages,”
it’s going to sound racist. You may say
that you’re not using those terms to refer to them being black. You may say
that you apply that term to anyone who protests in a way you object to,
regardless of their ethnicity. But “animal” and “savage” are words that cannot
be untangled from their ethnic connotations. For centuries, they have been used
to dehumanize non-white people. If you want to criticize the way the protests are
being conducted, that’s your opinion to express, but please understand the
implications of the words you use. Also, please be aware that many non-black
people are determined to tell black people how to conduct themselves, no matter
what they do.
Most of the protesters are not looting. Those who are doing so have been targeting the same
stores over and over again. It’s not as if every shop in the area is in
shambles. Additionally, droves of Mike Brown-supporting protesters have banded
together to guard stores from looters, and some places have only been looted in
order to gather supplies for medical emergencies in situations where they could
not otherwise be obtained. (For example, the protesters who broke into a
McDonalds to grab milk to pour over the eyes of those who had been tear
gassed.) Finally, life is immeasurably more valuable than property.
White people riot, too, but it’s hardly ever described as
rioting when we do it. This fact is not
brought up as a way to “attack white people,” but to point out the double
standards in the ways in which we discuss riots.
This is not an isolated incident. It’s not solely about Mike Brown. It’s an explosion of
terror, pain, and rage resulting from years of disenfranchisement and abuse.
This has been a long time coming. Additionally, those of us who are pointing
out the racism which drives this pain are not “making this about race.” It’s already largely about race. Yes, there are
other factors, but race is a primary component. To acknowledge this fact is not
to cause it. Many are accusing those of us who support the protesters of “race
baiting” and then go on to post videos of black people assaulting white people,
but they don’t consider that to be race baiting. They are either
trying to force their own white narrative onto the issue and make it all about
themselves, or they are trying to justify anti-black violence. Yes, there are
some black people who assault white people or each other, but: 1) it is
tasteless and irrelevant to inject that into this discussion, and 2) it is not
nearly as common for black people to commit violent crimes against whites as
vice versa, and black people lack the overall institutional power that whites
possess. If you believe that white people are being persecuted by minorities
and that minorities need to have their rights stripped away, then please
unfriend me instead of trying to argue that point. I have numerous resources
which will tell you differently, but you’ve already proven that you won’t
accept any facts that don’t further a white victim/black aggressor narrative.
Finally, I have friends who are being threatened because
of this. I have friends who have spent
the last few days being attacked with racist rants, racial slurs, and endless
antagonism because of their support for Ferguson protesters, and some are
currently afraid to leave their homes. I hate to bring this up, because it’s
hard to do so without inadvertently sounding like I’m patting myself on the
back for having black friends—which doesn’t make me special at all. But it’s
important for everyone to know the real impact this is having on the lives of
black people. For many, this isn’t just a topic to muse about behind a computer
screen. This is everyday life.
There are a lot
of resources available from black Americans, and I’ve already taken up too much
space on this topic. If you want to learn more, you can follow Colorlines,
Color of Change, The Root, Huffpost Black Voices, or For Harriet. There’s
plenty more out there, but those are the sources that immediately come to mind.
Also, follow Phoenix Calida. She’s an activist who has been to Ferguson to help
out in person, and she is brilliant.
That’s all for
now, folks. Thanks.
