This week’s edition is dedicated to Anton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the five police officers killed in Dallas. So far, what I’ve read from major publications has seemed scattered, incomplete, inauthentic. Then there is what I’ve read on FB and other social media — deep personal reflections plus silly (and hurtful) “All Lives Matter” ridiculousness. I hope you find these four pieces true and helpful — not just to begin to heal, but also to improve, to do something, to challenge.
Black Lives Matter: A Fairy Tale
“I am tired of writing about dead Black bodies,” Joel Leon writes. “I am tired of talking about talking; tired of marching, tired of yelling, voice hoarse. I am tired of being ‘conscious’, ‘woke’, awake, alive…I want to shoot shit, burn shit to ground floor levels. I am tired of the need for survival, I am tired of asking ‘what do we do now?’, ‘where do we go from here?’, ‘how do we cope?’.”
Autostraddle promotes the voices of queer and trans women of color. This piece offers six accounts, reflections, and opinions on the shootings of Anton Sterling and Philando Castile. Layla says, “I would feel more supported if I felt like white allies were trying harder. Don’t tell POC how sad you are or only post about your sadness on social media. Go put yourself in those uncomfortable places you don’t want to be in and do real work if you are really sad. White supremacy must be wiped out of our country.”
Iesha L. Evins, arrested in Baton Rouge. Photo by Jonathan Bachman, Reuters.
Something more is required of us now. What?
Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, argues that our country cannot be “fixed.” It is not up to President Obama to make speeches or police departments to make reforms. After all, she writes, “This nation was founded on the idea that some lives don’t matter. Freedom and justice for some, not all. That’s the foundation. Yes, progress has been made in some respects, but it hasn’t come easy. There’s an unfinished revolution waiting to be won.”
Librarian Creates #BlackLivesMatter Booklist for Teens
Listening helps us understand; reading does, too. Minnesota librarian Chelsea Couillard-Smith has built a booklist to build background knowledge about the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s not perfect, but I’ve read most of the titles and can vouch for them. Just don’t get too lost in reading (as I sometimes do), rendering yourself immobile.
Thank you for reading Extras #50. I welcome your thoughts on this issue, and I encourage you to take what you’ve read and turn it into a positive action. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!