Today, September 1, marks the beginning of a movement.
My movement is to stop the brutality of black men by police that continues to sweep this country on a daily basis.
Black folks and those who care about us should be aghast at our treatment.
Shock and disgust will not invite change.
Praying and hoping that folks change their hearts and in turn their behavior has not yielded much change.
The fascist state that should protect us from the bad guys sees nothing wrong with murdering and assaulting us and then using laws created by white supremacist cowards to ensure that their despicable behavior goes unchallenged.
This is a rallying call to those who value black male life.
Those who follow my musings understand my obsession and laser like focus on how to make black life work and thrive.
We live in a consumerist culture that teaches us that everything and everyone is dispensable.
With this as our guiding and cultural principle, snuffing out black men for any reason gets legitimized and supported no matter the consequences.
Black folks I am starting with us because we have been here before.
We have seen hordes of individuals gathering to destroy our community and what needs to happen to prevent that.
It is time to gather despite our collective fear and destroy the system that would destroy us.
Destroy, annihilate and rid ourselves of a jacked up system that is designed to eliminate a certain population.
I do not suggest compromising, reorganizing or working within a flawed framework.
That is the beginning of delusion.
In this battle for lives, the last thing any of us needs is more delusion.
Preachers, peace workers and those who focus on gratitude, are useful.
Teaching ongoing compassion will be the province of these individuals.
Their beliefs in the inherent goodness of others must be examined and applied once there are no longer any black males being gunned down, beaten, choked and harassed.
Until then, we are in a war that has been started and continues without proper explanation of the rules of engagement; nor is it designed for the people with the most to lose to ever become victorious.
In my personal life, I read a great deal about social movements, dictators (who bloodily run oppressive regimes) and brilliant, cunning guerrillas who determine that things will change.
Reading literature about sociopaths and those that bring them down is a reminder that humans are capable of everything.
Black folks it is time we stopped waiting for folks to treat us well.
We’ve been given every example that there are people who will not see us as human no matter what we do.
Black folks where is our outrage ?
Black folks let’s not waste any more time or lives fighting over who should lead and how.
What is important is that we demand that things change.
What is important is that we no longer mistreat one another and demand that the world create a new approach when dealing with us.
While the movement is not new, it has smartly and wisely reinvented itself so that we have no clear understanding of what to do next nor who is most capable to carry out what our movement requires.
It is a time to take action and demand change and accountability.
When small animals are slaughtered or missing, there is a national outcry,crowd funding and all sorts of you tube sensations complete with a flood of activity on social media.
Where is all the concern and galvanizing when one of our own is gunned down ?
We can easily borrow strategies and action plans from those involved in other movements : Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, Gay Right’s , etc.
It is now time to handle this social problem like you would any malady (with swift and deliberate action).
We would not negotiate or attempt to reason with a sickness that attacked our bodies.
We are in the same position with the police brutality and the men in our community who are most directly affected by it. My suggestion is that we figure out what makes people pay attention and do just that.
My Aunt used to jokingly state that the bus boycotts worked because the bus company owners were losing money.She used to tell us that when folks ain’t acting right that if you hit them in their pocketbook(s) they will act right.
Whose pocketbook do we need to hit in an effort to get people to pay attention ?
Starting at a financial point would be an initial way to address this issue.
We could also focus serious pressure on political leaders and a refusal to support institutions that watch the brutalization and do nothing.
We have to make it impossible to allow certain things to occur.
We have to make it impossible to continue with certain behaviors.
Any suggestions ?
True change always starts with a group of pissed off ordinary citizens that make things transform.
It is time that we get pissed off collectively and then do something with that being pissed off.
Where is our anger ?
Where is our confrontation of policy makers, self appointed leaders and those who take our money and votes and offer very little in return ?
Please forward me your upset, desire for change and then let’s get started and change ourselves and then our communities.
Please send me suggestions as to how this can be not only turned around but also considered no longer socially acceptable.