Get Down or Sit Down, Part 1: The Loud Pack and the Silent Killers

Although Black people have constantly burdened the brunt of racism and discrimination since being brought to the Americas against our will, it feels like it's been open season on Black people since the death of Trayvon Martin in February of 2012.  However, since last week's senseless murders of 37-year-old Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 34-year-old Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota by police officers, there appears to be an uprising in the making because Black folk just aren't having it anymore.  The pain of constantly being reminded that our lives don't matter has stirred up the need for urgent solidarity among our people to send messages to the establishment that we are no longer just marching or protesting, although none of that will cease or desist until justice is achieved.  The problem is that while some of us are heeding to the "all aboard" call, there are many in our own ranks and outside who are either inadvertently or purposely subverting the spirit of the movement and the efforts of those trying to make progress for our people.  Chalk it up to disingenuous behavior, apathy, confusion, distraction, ego, cynicism, ignorance or flat-out negativity, but either way, the attitude is simple: either get down or, like Jesse Williams insisted in his 2016 BET Awards speech, "sit down".  Hence, this series is dedicated to helping folks identify whether they truly care about justice and the advancement of Black people or if they're just in the way...

THE INSTAGRAMTIVIST AND/OR THE BIG TALKER.  On "Dear Doubter", my good friend and musical partner-in-crime Ransom Rellic delivers not only three of my favorite lines of his, but more important, he gives a series of lyrics applicable to this conversation: "I ain't really been vocal and you don't see the grind/Or when I make a move, I don't feel you need to know the move/Just know that when the time comes, I'ma show and prove."  With that said, there are those in our ranks who believe that you have to be the Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson of social media Blacktivism in order to prove that you are a part of the cause.  Basically, show up for the photo op to validate that you were there, make a rousing speech about the injustice of the day and then go back to your corner without seeing or hearing much more from you after that.  Also, people who subscribe to "Instagramtivism" believe that they can share a politically-charged meme among their circle of friends and that's the Alpha and Omega of their Blacktivism.  Ultimately, their overall mantra is that if there is no physical proof of it on the Gram, the Book or the Twitter, then it must not have happened and essentially subscribe to the theory that a tree absolutely cannot make a sound if it falls in the forest because nobody was there to hear it.  However, the socialites masquerading as Blacktivists often treat the struggle like it's an "I Voted" sticker: you were there just to say you were there, but you have no plans of being involved in the nitty-gritty of the process beyond just one day every year or two or four.  

The "Instagramtivist" is not only capable of just being a part of the struggle for the sake of being seen or appearing to care about the issues at hand, but they can also play an even less helpful dual role.  These Donald Trumps of Blacktivism are the grandiose embodiments of James Brown's 1972 song aimed at politicians and "cats on their soapboxes" who had no connection with the struggle of common folks: "Like a dull knife/Just ain't cutting/Just talking loud/Then sayin' nothing."  There is nothing difficult in shouting out an emphatic "yasss" when talking about these social atrocities that threaten justice everywhere.  It might even be easier for some people to bark real hard body like they're about to take a chew a chunk out of the establishment's hind parts.  However, they'll either have no plans of action whatsoever or get real quiet and reticent when you start mentioning peaceful protests; relentless letter-writing, emailing and calling campaigns to Senators, Congresspersons and agency heads; public policy spearheading and writing; contributions to organizations connected to the causes and/or the victims' families; well-targeted financial boycotts; and a slew of other possibilities.  Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with manifesting what you're doing or letting your voice be heard to advance the causes of our people and I'd never discourage someone from using their medium of expression because some people are better at getting out the word and drawing an audience than others.  Nevertheless, we don't need demagoguery if it doesn't come equipped with multi-pronged plan of action.

THE CHURCH MICE OR KEEPERS OF ANY CODE OF SILENCE.  As evidenced in the previous section, I am a staunch advocate of "the strong move quiet".  However, in the wake of the Sterling and Castile murders, three things stood out to me from this past week in terms of people seeming to be selectively silent. First, both incidents happened days after Kevin Durant's big decision to take his talents to Oakland, which had the Internet goin' nuts.  People were either sounding off about how much Durant was a ring-chasing traitor or how he was a free agent who had every right to choose where he wanted to play, but when the police murdered both Sterling and Castile in cold blood, many of these same folks were nowhere to be found.  I get it: considering how many murders have happened at the hands of law enforcement officers, especially over the past four years, we seem to be inundated with depressing and defeating news about our brothers and sisters suffering at the hands of people who are public servants sworn to protect.  I also believe that people have the right to talk about whatever, whenever and wherever they want and that there's nothing wrong with escaping the humdrum.  I mean, I did prefer to write an article about Durant last week instead of the Hillary Clinton email fiasco.  However, I still believe that the same passion infused into Durant's $54 million deal with "The Dark Side" can be and needs to be preserved for something that actually affects more of our people.  Same goes for anyone who was quick to rake Clinton through the coals for those emails, but won't exercise the same amount of vitriolic criticism toward the "bad apples" of law enforcement when it comes to the murder of two more Black men at the hands of the police.

Second, and speaking of which, many in the ranks of law enforcement are quick to defend "the shield" by saying stuff like "there are more good cops than bad cops" or "not all police officers are bad people."  Cool story, bro.  Meanwhile, perhaps the most salient point of all was made by HOT 97's Peter Rosenberg when he got into it with an officer who called in to the show and was hesitant to refer to Alton Sterling's shooting a murder:

Y'all can't ever point to someone else and say, "You can't do your job well!"  I could tell you right now, if I heard a radio personality get on the air and do something irresponsible, I'd go, "That's a bad radio personality!  He does a bad job!"  Police officers never wanna say when y'all do a bad job, so that's the reason that the public thinks all of you are bad because you won't ever call someone out and say, "They murdered someone in cold blood.  It happened again."  And until you guys start taking responsibility for your own, people in the street are gonna be upset instead.  So how about y'all lead the movement instead!  So how about instead of people rioting, police officers get out in front of it themselves!  You guys are the first ones on the front lines!  That's what should happen instead of you struggling to say, "Well...I don't know...it could be."  They murdered that man!  We just saw it!

The sad part about this interview is that the officer followed up Rosenberg's poignant diatribe with an expected response: "Well, I can't agree with you."  This is just proof that the "code of silence" that exists is real and that the lack of widespread accountability is one of the biggest contributing factors to the Black community's general lack of trust when it comes to law enforcement.  There are very few like Officer Nakia Jones of the Warrensville (OH) Police Department who will both take the community whence she comes to task and challenge the racist element among her ranks:

If you are White and you're working in a Black community and you are racist, you need to be ashamed of yourself.  You stood up there and took an oath.  If this is not where you want to work, then you need to take your behind somewhere else.

I absolutely commend this sister for speaking up when a lot of her fellow officers--Black, White or otherwise--aren't willing to do the same.  It's as simple as this for me: if you're not willing to stand up for people from one of the most discriminated-against races since the inception of the "United" States of America and admit that they were killed unnecessarily, then you're against us.

Third, during a peaceful protest in Dallas in response to the Sterling and Castile murders, a tactically-orchestrated shooting by 25-year-old Army Reservist Micah Xavier Johnson left four Dallas Police Department (DPD) officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer dead as well as seven additional officers and one civilian injured before he was killed.  Let me set the record straight: I do not condone the actions of Johnson whatsoever and this was a cowardly attack on police officers who were actually doing their jobs and protecting the peaceful protestors.  With that said, guess who didn't take their sweet time in speaking up against this?  Yup...the National Rifle Association (NRA).  Executive VP and CEO Wayne LaPierre took to Twitter nearly a half day after the shooting:

On behalf of the more than five million members of the National Rifle Association, and especially on behalf of our members from the law enforcement community, I want to express the deep anguish all of us feel for the heroic Dallas law enforcement officers who were killed and wounded, as well as to those who so bravely ran toward danger to defend the city and people of Dallas.
With heavy hearts, NRA members honor their heroism and offer our deepest condolences to all of their families.

While I take absolutely no issue with LaPierre making a statement about the Dallas shooting, they took a more muted approach in defending Philando Castile--who had a valid permit to carry in an open carry state and told Officer Jeronimo Yanez of the St. Anthony Police Department that he had a firearm on him to prevent any misunderstanding.  "It is important for the NRA not to comment while the investigation is ongoing," the organization stated on their Facebook page.  "Rest assured, the NRA will have more to say once all the facts are known."  Despite calling the situation "troubling", there's just not the same amount of heavy-heartedness toward Castile's situation as there was with the Dallas police shooting.  As for Alton Sterling, who was also in an open carry state that doesn't require a permit, the NRA has said nothing.  Again, if you're not vehemently defending us when any one of us is exercising our Second Amendment right as much as you would a White man exercising that same Constitutional right or staying virtually mum about it, then you might as well just come out and say, "We don't believe Black people should be extended any of the same rights that we have."

Please come back next week and read the second part of the "Get Down or Sit Down" series!!!