R.I.P. Rekia Boyd

I am sure that Rekia Boyd never imagined that being in a neighborhood park would end her life.  Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is how some will rationalize this tragedy but it underscores the fact that she was shot by someone who is supposed to be a trained "to serve and protect".

There is still more to be discovered in this case and yet I fear that because this has been deemed a police justified shooting little will be revealed or done to discover why this young woman lost her life at the hands of a trained police officer. The Chicago police department is saying that the off-duty officer ( I can't find his name anywhere) shot Rekia Boyd in the head when he fired (from inside his vehicle) on a male that he believed was holding a weapon.  What?

Police officers are treated as above reproach because they are considered trustworthy and honorable because there is supposed to be a moral code that they abide by.  This is America and Black people unfortunately know better than most that there are police officers that have no morals and who definitely don't think that that code should include us.  Police department cover-ups are an unfortunate norm in America's history especially when race is a factor.

My condolences go out to Rekia Boyd's family.  I do hope that there is an in-depth investigation to discover why this young woman lost her life.  

We have to continue speaking out against these travesties of injustice because the truth needs to prevail.

The Benefit of the Doubt?

Giving "the benefit of the doubt" is an expression that I have no use for as a Black person living under the racist conditioning of this world.  It is dead as far as I am concerned right along with the expression "I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to".  These expressions and many like them are dangerous and do not apply to life for Black people in America or even around the world when dealing with white people and racism.  When it comes to racism, expressions like these serve the purpose of creating a delusional reality for white people and a false sense of safety for Black people.

Black people can't afford the "benefit of the doubt".  It is costing us too much.  Allowing these mindsets to permeate our consciousness deludes us into believing that we DON'T live in a society that will not hesitate in trying to eliminate us physically, mentally and emotionally.  There is no real trust, safety or benefit for non-white people in an oppressive white supremacist society.

We can't allow our desire and right to live in a racially unbiased world lull us into believing that it is ever really possible to do that in a world that is structurally biased against us. White people/White Identified People that like to say that we can't or shouldn't judge them by the actions of too many when they go around judging Black people by the actions of a few can shut the hell up and get back to me when they get harassed, maligned or assaulted on a daily basis just for breathing.  

America has a racism problem.  Black people can't trust a world that insists on perpetuating the lie that we are the reason racism continues to exist.  Be mindful that no matter how "good" we are in this world, as Black people, our lives will not be better until society as a whole denounces sick people and racist practices that exist purposefully to ensure that we don't.

Never be silent and always watch your back.

Taking the High Road???

The problem with the expression "taking the high road" is the fact that more often than not the person taking the low road is conditioned to expecting that person to automatically do it.  This is the common response that many of us have probably heard being thrown out at us as a solution when we have been subjected to racism.  The years of stress that I have suffered from this doozy kept me angry.

BlacknBougie has a post today discussing racism, our society and the tragic Trayvon Martin case.  She gives her own examples of  "taking the high road" to combat racist behavior which as you read further subjects her to only allowing her complete frustration to be aired in private.  The racist gets to go on their way unaffected and without any sort of repercussions for what they have done.

We are always expected to breathe and hold it in.  It being the words or actions that would call a racist out for who and what they are.  For far too many white people being called a racist is now seen as worse than having racism inflicted on you.  When a racist is called out on their racism they will more often than not try to present themselves as the injured.   Forget the person that is subjected to the racist words, actions or behaviors.  They are insignificant compared to the racists' offense of being labeled a racist.

I just can't with stupid people anymore.  That is what a racist is-- a stupid person.  I exceeded my "high road" quota a long time ago.  I will call them on it.  Period.

A Federal Jude Didn't Get The Memo That America Is Post-Racial.

America is a racist country due to despicable people like Chief Justice Richard Cebull and America grows increasingly weaker because of it.

Most want to believe that we live in an evolved an forward thinking country that prides itself on leaders that will and can do what is best for all of its citizens.  But we don't.  Because America's racist foundation has not been demolished and that racist foundation allows for men like Chief Justice Cebull (See-Bull) to be in an appointed position (by G.W. Bush) of power to shaping the lives of the citizens in this country.

This Federally Appointed Official has decided that it is both appropriate and harmless to send a racist email (as long as it remained private) denigrating not only President Obama but his mother as well.  He admits that he realized the email was racist and that people would be offended by it but he offers their textbook apology response with the expected caveat of not being a racist just because he sent a racist email and that he was just expressing his anti-Obama sentiment.

The judge acknowledged that the content of the email was racist, but said he does not consider himself racist. He said the email was intended to be a private communication.

"It was not intended by me in any way to become public," Cebull said. "I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended."

He admitted that he read the email and intended to send it to his friends.

"The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan," Cebull said. "I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."

For those that want to believe that there is a difference between a racist from Buqwuat, USA and a racist sitting the judicial bench it would probably be hard to imagine that Cebull would express such a racist sentiment.  I mean as a Chief Justice "the believers" would think that he could express his disagreement with the Obama Administration policies or his position on other issues is an intelligent, articulate and non-racist manner.  The believers underestimate the intrinsic nature of a racist.  They can't help themselves!

"I have never considered myself that way," Cebull said. "All I can emphasize is I've treated people in my courtroom all these years fairly. I don't think I've ever demonstrated racism. Nobody has ever even implied it."

Riiight.  We are supposed to believe that the email was the absolute first time that he has ever demonstrated racism and of course racism never ever influenced his decisions in the court room.  I am thinking that a judicial review needs to be done.  Well lookee here HE is asking for one.  Let's just hope that the ones doing the review weren't on his email list.

Post-racial was a media label that was attached to America's story after President Obama's election.  That label is nothing more than a soundbite that was amplified via the media and in no way implies that this country isn't racist or that it is not infested with racists throughout our Executive, Legislative and Judicial bodies of government. President Obama is the first non-white president in an independent country that has existed for over two hundred years.  Enough Said.

I Don't Hate White People

White privilege is everywhere!

I  hate white privilege.

I hate white privilege that is wielded as a weapon in society to subjugate non-white people.   I absolutely despise the white privileged apathetic actions and behaviors towards racism.  The disdain that I have towards white privilege and it's assault on the lives of Black people is at times extremely close to the surface because in society at large there seems to be no conscious separation between white people and their privilege. 

Don't tell me racism doesn't exist and then proceed to have secret (nudge, nudge, wink wink) agreements to exclude non-white people from participating, living or working in areas that you consider to be yours. White Supremacy and its drainage leaves a sewage stink on everyone that chooses to engage in it and on those that are affected by it. 

White people that readily engage in white privilege become ignorant and insensitive automatically.  It is why they genuinely feel that they are entitled to feel only honor for their ancestors great "accomplishments."  Leave out the not so good way they garnered said accomplishments because that is not as important especially if it makes them look or feel bad.  "Those were different times" is a favorite response which basically means that they could care less what their privilege has done to inflict harm on others as long as they don't have to see it or address it.  It's all good.

I hate white privilege because white privilege expects me to readily and gladly show respect without question to people that did not consider me to be human being.  There is no explanation that would make me want to honor Thomas Jefferson or any of the various other slave owning "forefathers"?  Showing respect to white people that saw people like me as inferior, as chattel is definitely not on my bucket list. Jefferson's Declaration of Independence did not include me.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"  Yes.  Everyone that looked like him.

The Constitution?  The original mAmerican document didn't include people that looked like me either.

Originally, the Framers were very careful about avoiding the words "slave"and "slavery" in the text of the Constitution. Instead, they used phrases like"importation of Persons" at Article 1, Section9 for the slave trade, "other persons" at Article 1, Section 2, and "person held to serviceor labor" at Article 4, Section 2 for slaves.Not until the 13th Amendment was slaverymentioned specifically in the Constitution. There the term was used to ensure that there was to be no ambiguity as what exactly the words were eliminating.In the 14th Amendment, the euphemism "otherpersons" (and the three-fifths value given a slave) was eliminated.

My respect is reserved for the people that were responsible for the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments and for the people that were invaluable in the pursuit of Civil Rights legislation.

Real progress for all citizens of this country won't happen until white privilege is abolished.  We must always choose to speak out and fight against all actions that are meant to keep non-white people's voices and rights quelled.  If not we will deal with unjust and disrespectful behavior from people that would like nothing better than to see non-white people relegated to roles of servitude that don't allow us to have a voice in how America evolves.  White privilege should never be tolerated.


Racism thrives because white privilege lives.  They both need to die.



Photo Credit

The Genteel White Woman Lie and America is the MOST Racist Country in the World

A finger in the face should get you maced!

 

Threatened??? The white privileged face of America setting the standard for ignorance.

This picture has been circling the internet for almost a week now and I have resisted posting on it because I wasn't calm and there have been some really great posts referencing it and what it implies here, here and here.  My initial reaction to seeing this wasn't any different from any other time that I have seen disrespect, towards Black people, born from the ignorance of white privilege and racism.  I want this post to be plain and direct and to include enough honesty and truth to choke the white privilege out of every white person that subscribes to that mindset.