I've always hated the whole "Black men are deadbeat dads" narrative. For lack of a better term, it's really stupid. And harmful. And wrong. I take issue with people consistently making these "jokes" about Black fatherhood that only perpetuate stereotypes and keep the racist American culture alive.
According to this article on Vox.com, the majority of Black fathers do live with their kids, contrary to popular belief. And if your issue is with incarcerated fathers, take it up with the prison and police system that targets Black men disproportionately. The fact of the matter is that some people have dads, some people don't. Some people have moms, but not everyone. These people fall in every category, abandonment and/or death don't discriminate. When someone (and this has, in fact, happened) assumes that my father isn't in the picture, I am at a loss for words. I live in a two-parent household, but not everyone does. Because I am a decent human being however, I realize that it sucks when people repeatedly make jokes about traumatic life experiences. Especially when those jokes are based on something that you cannot control. This speaks more to a lack of human decency than racism, but it is one example of a tasteless joke at the expense of Black people. These jokes and sly comments are microaggressions, or simply put: diet racism. We must all be making a conscious effort to unlearn biases and teach friends and family to do the same. Rethink your so-called "comedy" and have a Happy Father's Day.
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Happy Emancipation Day beautiful people! On this day 155 years ago, the very last slaves - in Galveston, Texas - were freed. Two years after the initial Emancipation Proclamation, and in the aftermath of the Civil War, those slaves could finally join others across the United States of America and live lives of more than just labor, abuse, and horror. While slavery in other forms continued, and Black people weren't ever truly freed, we celebrate Juneteenth because of the weight it carries and message it conveys. "None of us are free until all of us are free."
That day was June 19, 1865, exactly 138 years before I was born. Today I am seventeen, and I feel more grateful than ever to have been born on such a significant day. For as long as I can remember I have been telling everyone who would listen, "My birthday is a HOLIDAY! Don't you know Juneteenth?" While I shared this information with the same level of enthusiasm and know-it-all energy each time, more often than not I was met with a blank stare. Did people not know about Juneteenth? While I could fault Black parents and Black peers for not realizing the significance of this day, the blame once again truly falls on the American government and education system. I was taught about the American Revolution, that on July 4, 1776, we were finally free! Rejoice! No more tea tax! I was not taught, about the fact that "independence" was just another right "reserved for whites". I was not taught, that it would be nearly another century before my ancestors could shed their chains and shackles and attempt to get back some of what they had given to this land. Make no mistake, this erasure was intentional. If we don't learn about the jubilant Southern celebration of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, we don't realize how long it took to get there. Meaning that they don't have to acknowledge that when their Founding Fathers were writing that "all men are created equal", they didn't mean Black people. While white Americans celebrated their freedom from the British on the fourth of Ju-LIE, my ancestors were left in the dust for another 90 years. In short, I hope that this resurgence and newfound publicizing of Juneteenth will make people rethink what they know about this country. I am happy to see people acknowledge what I have celebrated all my life. I know that I wouldn't be able to have my ice cream cake today if my ancestors hadn't been finally freed all those years ago. Happy Juneteenth, the real Independence Day. Most of us have been force-fed police propaganda the entirety of our lives. We watch TV where detectives act recklessly on a hunch and are rewarded, we see one-sided tales on catching the "bad guy" with no remorse or concern for their life. Because of this, I cannot blame those who have the wrong idea about what the police should and should not be able to do, but we must get one thing clear: THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR MURDER. We need to unlearn this idea that if a citizen does anything out of line, cops are allowed to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Instead we should be asking ourselves this: Why are the police so easily threatened? These are some of the most powerful individuals in the country, yet they are so fragile that someone asking questions, making a wrong move, or resisting arrest makes them fear for their lives enough that they have to discharge their guns. We are brainwashed into thinking gun-toting and shooting people is a normal part of the job, but the way I see it, most police interactions could be easily de-escalated with a simple conversation. Instead, they seem to instigate and agitate on purpose, as if it were a game, they enjoy feeling powerful and intimidating. Deadly force should be a rarity, in fact it should NEVER be used, but police are trained to use their guns whenever they deem it necessary, it isn't treated as a last resort, it's offered as a simple and effective way to "neutralize" a suspect. It seems to me that they'd be much more productive if they learned how to diffuse a situation rather than incite violence and commit murder. This one is for everyone asking why we don't protest when white people are killed by the police. First of all, because those killings aren't motivated by the same forces that have been working against Black Americans for 4 centuries. But, congratulations! You once again completely missed the point.
By all means, if that "white on white" crime bothers you, join us, but I would put money on the fact that you don't actually care for the likes of Tony Timpa, in which case you should be ashamed of yourself for using a victim of police brutality to fulfill your attempt at silencing Black people. The fight against police brutality is about more than race and political party. It is a fact and it is clear that that brutality is often and unfairly aimed toward Black people, but past that, we are protesting the system that would allow brutality to harm or take the lives of ANYONE of ANY RACE. So for those of you attacking Black Lives Matter, or calling Black people "racist" (which is a whole other issue) kindly shut up. Because YOU are the one making this a politics thing, you are the one dividing the country yet again. No one, and I mean literally no one ever, said that white people are excluded from this movement. This is about racism, but it is also about morals, human rights, and safety. Yesterday would have been the 27th birthday of Breonna Taylor, Louisville EMT and one of the more recent victims of senseless violence at the hands of police. Police raided Breonna's home shortly after midnight on March 13th on the basis that her apartment was being used by drug dealers to receive packages. Now the first thing wrong about this is that the police had already arrested the suspects in the drug investigation. So what was the reason for forcing entry into a woman's home at midnight if there was no urgency in the situation? Secondly they did not identify themselves, yet arrested Breonna's boyfriend for firing his legal firearm. Would you not also use your self-defense weapon if someone seemed to be breaking into your home in the middle of the night? Lastly, they did not attempt to diffuse the situation, instead they sprayed gunfire into a residence with no regard for anyone inside, subsequently murdering an innocent woman who was simply sleeping in her own home. For centuries Black woman have been held to this impossible standard of being strong willed care-takers who put their feelings and needs aside for others. I think that it is because of this expectation that when Black woman face injustices at the hands of police, health professionals, and the general population, it is overlooked. White woman are viewed as fragile beings to be protected, while Black women must be strong, there for you, and impossible to harm. This is why it took nearly 80 days and the momentum of several other cases for Breonna to finally see some justice. It is important that as we fight for our Black brothers and their safety, we remember that our sisters are at risk too. On May 30, after attending a peaceful protest in Columbus, Ohio, 22-year old recent Ohio State graduate Sarah Grossman died. While attending said protest, Sarah and her protest group were sprayed by - you guessed it - tear gas, triggering her asthma, and subsequently killing her.
I am writing this post because I want to set something straight. Sarah Grossman should not have died. She is in NO WAY at fault for what happened to her. Some of you may wonder why I make that disclaimer, but you'd be surprised by how many people seem to think she as at fault, and should have known that by going to a protest she way putting her life in danger. Do not let these past few weeks fool you, what has been happening is not normal, tear gas is not normal. And voluntarily attending a peaceful protest is support of Black Lives Matter and honoring the death of George Floyd should not be a death sentence. No one, before this month, would ever connect that going to a peaceful protest would put you in harms way. We are becoming all to familiar with the violent tactics being used by police during these times, and I am here to remind you, do not get used to it, do not become accustomed to the excessive force so loosely used by police. It is not normal. A peaceful protest should be a safe environment for children, adults, and asthma patients. It only becomes a safety hazard when the police force and American government decides to interfere with our first amendment rights. Whatever happened to protect and serve? It's looking a little more like divide and conquer. Today I am attempting to explain what I mean when I say ACAB, or All Cops Are Bad. It seems that people misunderstand the statement, and tend to focus on the fact that they "know a good cop" or that "generalizations are dangerous." To that I simply say this, POLICE ARE DANGEROUS, not my statement. If that isn't clear by now, you may have something in your eyes - oh wait, no that would be the hundreds if not thousands of protesters that have been senselessly tear gassed over the past few days. The way I chose to explain ACAB was by using one argument I keep hearing, "You can't judge all police because of a few bad apples!" Think about it this way: Imagine going to the grocery store looking for apples. You fill up your bag with some perfect looking Honey Crisps, the sign says "These apples are great! They were made just for you!" But when you get to the checkout line, the cashier says this, "Oh...be careful. Last week one of those apples made me sick. A couple might be bad. The rest are fine though." "But which ones? Which ones are bad?" You'd ask. "Oh I don't know, we can't tell until after someone's in the hospital." Any sane person would hear that and put the apples back, maybe even throw them away. A smart person would leave the store. How does that happen? How does a store created to serve people, just happen to have a few bad apples? Why isn't someone checking the apples? Why are they still selling the apples? How in the hell is this store still open? Now ask yourself this: What kind of system trains and enables police officers that just might be bad apples. These bad apples don't just make your stomach hurt, or give you a rash, they KILL YOU. If one apple is bad, they should shut down the whole orchard. Now some people might have had a tasty apple, some might even know the farmer, but it doesn't matter if that same farmer is sending people to the hospital left and right. ACAB. I encourage you all to listen to what comedian Chris Rock has to say about this metaphor. Another quite comedic way of saying that some jobs just can't afford to have bad apples. This week marks the beginning of Pride Month 2020. You may or may not also know about Tony McDade, a transgender Black man who was shot and killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida on Wednesday, May 27. This is yet another instance of unwarranted police brutality against Black men, and Tony's existence should be recognized not only as a Black man, but as a transgender Black man. As a black woman, my whole life is rooted in intersectionality. I live everyday carrying the weight of not only the #blacklivesmatter movement, but the feminist movement as well. Because of this, I have learned that it is important to, when championing for one cause, include the rest as well. Marsha P. Johnson was a Black transgender woman on the front-lines of the LGBTQ+ liberation movement in the 1960s. On June 28, 1969, police raided a popular New York City gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, Johnson was part of the “vanguard” that resisted police during the resulting demonstration known as the Stonewall riots. "The Stonewall Riots were followed by several days of demonstrations in New York and was the impetus for the formation of the Gay Liberation Front as well as other gay, lesbian and bisexual civil rights organizations. The next year, in 1970, New York's first official gay pride parade set off from Stonewall and marched up 6th Avenue. June was later designated LGBT Pride Month to commemorate the uprising (history.com). " The movements fighting for gay rights, women's rights, and the rights of the African-American community are all rooted in the need for basic human rights. If you fight for one cause, you must fight for them all. In 1989, civil rights scholar Kimberle Crenshaw brought us the concept of intersectionality while she advocated for the legal recognition of the Venn diagram that exists between marginalized communities. This LGBT Pride Month let's remember the steps taken toward liberating that community 50 years ago. And let's relate this to where we are now. We have to stand together. We must celebrate the LGBTQ+ community while focusing on the issue at hand. For this month and many more months to come, I ask my LGBT friends to join us in this fight for liberation. We're all in this together. I encourage you all to watch this free episode of Netfix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. Along with being a trailblazer for brown people in American comedy and entertainment, Minhaj offers well-thought out, factual, and extremely engaging commentary on American and global issues. I highly suggest watching all episodes of Patriot Act, but this episode from September of 2019 is extremely relevant in wake of the current tension between police and civilians. "And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?" - Martin Luther King Jr.
Yesterday my family and I ventured out into surrounding neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago. We wanted to properly assess damage that has supposedly been done to our community by protesters and rioters. The news as well as social media was crawling in statements about how people were turning a movement into a chance to get some new shoes. To see what was what, we traveled about 15 minutes north and 15 minutes south of our house, keeping our eyes peeled for broken or boarded up windows. I was disappointed by what I saw, grocery stores, gas stations, and liquor stores smashed to pieces. Believe me, it hurts to see my community like this, but I can't help but think that there are more pressing issues right now. What is really disappointing is focus shifting away from the movement and towards the chaos being caused as a result. With any disease, there are symptoms. In any rebellion, revolution, or war there are casualties. This was and is inevitable, and it needs to happen. When peaceful protests fail to make a difference time after time, what else can be done? A building can only truly be rebuild after being knocked down. People aren't understanding something. Communities can be rebuilt, lives cannot. If I am learning anything through all of this, it is how quickly and effectively Black people and allies will come together to fund-raise for a good cause. It is important to note that those who would vandalize, loot, and in any way harm the Black community during a time like this are not with the movement. They are taking advantage of a chaotic time, and can you blame them? I am opening the comments on this post up to discussion, because I am sure many have an opinion on the matter. This is a safe space to share your thoughts, and hate has no place here. Speak freely, but do so with respect. |
Who am I?Corinne Salter is a 16-year old student from Chicago. She is a young black woman and has been searching for a way to be heard. Archives |