Do you want to be antiracist? Then consider this: you need to listen to Black people. And you need to talk to white people. What needs to be done is hard. Where to start is not. Be the Pebble Act
BLM
The Past?
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana Buffalo makes clear that too many of us can't seem to remember anything. Be the Pebble Act
Identity Politics / Intersectionalism
We often hear the term "identity politics", often from right wing critics on places like Fox News. Their definition, for purposes of their complaints, is that we on the left, and in the Democratic Party, have different and individual platforms for various groups. They pretty much mean a sliced and diced set of ideas rather … Continue reading Identity Politics / Intersectionalism
Safety
“The safest communities are not the ones with the most police, prisons, or electronic monitors, but the ones with quality schools, health care, housing, plentiful jobs, and strong social networks that allow families not merely to survive, but to thrive.” - Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness … Continue reading Safety
Malcolm X
“The first thing I tell them is that at least where my own particular Black Nationalist organization, the Organization of Afro-American Unity, is concerned, they can’t join us. I have these very deep feelings that white people who want to join black organizations are really just taking the escapist way to salve their consciences. By … Continue reading Malcolm X
I Will Not Turn the Other Cheek
For more than 150 years, first Negroes, then Blacks, then African Americans have been told the same thing: just wait, it will get better. The Massachusetts 54th, the first African American regiment, fought not just to end slavery, but also for the promise of a better life. Freed slaves were promised "40 acres and a … Continue reading I Will Not Turn the Other Cheek
The Whole World is Watching?
I've been to protests where that was the chant: "The whole world is watching". But this time? That's not right. The whole world is joining. Paris. London. Cape Town. Hong Kong. Kolkata. Jerusalem. Berlin. Athens. Last night, in Bristol England, protestors tore down a statue of a slave trader and threw it in the river. … Continue reading The Whole World is Watching?
An Update re: David
I posted the words below as an update on Facebook. As a preface, if I believed that any of you would be offended, well, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be a subscriber! I live in Melrose, MA. Friday I stood out with a sign that said "I Can't Breathe #BLM". Today I held "Racism is … Continue reading An Update re: David
Troubled
Troubled. To say how I've felt the last few days? Pick a word. Troubled comes to mind. What happened to Ahmaud Arbery made me angry. Maybe I got a bit complacent. I have a BLM flag. I put it up when someone, a black man, sometimes a woman (Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor) is killed. Yet … Continue reading Troubled
The Thin Blue Line Needs to be Broken
The thin blue line needs to be broken. The evil of one was compounded by the three who watched and did nothing. There are many more good police officers than bad, but until the good speaks up, denounces and outs the bad, then you all look the same. #blm