When the writing for this segment started, the murder of Eric Garner by the NYPD was the obvious topic. Since then, breaking news that Renisha McBride’s killer had been convicted was botched by the Associated Press headline writers and a young teen named Mike Brown was gunned down by police in Ferguson, Missouri.
Simply keeping up with the number of young, murdered black Americans and their treatment by the injustice system and the media is an impossible task. The hashtags #JusticeForEricGarner, #RememberRenisha and — the latest — #IfTheyGunnedMeDown became a chorus of community expressing sorrow and rage over the past several days.
In New York, Eric Garner’s death has officially been ruled a homicide — a painful death at the hands of an officer who wielded a deadly chokehold for the crime of selling untaxed cigarettes.
"The motto can no longer be 'to protect and serve' if that only applies to certain people,” writes Mychal Denzel Smith at The Nation. "We can't cede the idea of crime prevention to an armed police force, and then allow them the discretion to determine which crimes are worth preventing. The reality of policing in America is that it upholds a system of racism and oppression of the poor. There is no justice, for Eric Garner or anyone else, until that changes.”
The white supremacy power structure in this country is deadly; that doesn’t change until more than a minority of us stand up and demand justice.
UPDATE:
Since the production of this episode, a nationwide moment of silence and accompanying vigils in 50 cities has been planned for THURSDAY Aug 14 at 7pmEST. #NMOS14 is being coordinated by Feminista Jones who's Twitter you can follow for information.
TAKE ACTION:
Sign the ColorOfChange.org letter to Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton: #JusticeforEricGarner
Additional Activism/Resources:
Sign: White House petition demanding a statement (at the very least) on the killing of young, black men
Read and join in these Twitter conversations:
”Black Women Matter: #RememberRenisha”
"#IfTheyGunnedMeDown Shows How Black People Are Portrayed in Mainstream Media” by Yesha Callahan at The Root
Sources/further reading:
"News coverage of the Michael Brown shooting: headlines matter” via The People’s View
"When Parenting Feels Like a Fool’s Errand: On the Death of Michael Brown.” by Stacia L. Brown
"Surprise! NYPD Commissioner Bratton Doesn’t Think Race Had Anything to Do With Eric Garner’s Death” by Mychal Denzel Smith at The Nation
"Eric Garner’s Death and the Exasperation With Police Violence” by Mychal Denzel Smith at The Nation
Hear the segment in context:
Episode #851 "To selectively protect and serve (Injustice System)"
Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich
