The recent attack on Dhoruba Bin Wahad suggests that the Black Liberation Movement must always be seeking ways to deal with principled disagreements. Brother Dhoruba is one of our most celebrated political prisoners–a Black Panther who spent nearly 20 years in U.S. captivity. We didn’t work for his freedom to have him subjected to this level of disrespect.
For many, the thought of a random act of violence on Sunday night was unbelievable. After 2-1/2 days of commemorative, non-violent, rejuvenating activities planned for the anniversary weekend of Mike Brown’s murder, shooting erupted in Ferguson. Because police lie and deceive routinely, it is difficult to know what the circumstances were around the shoot out that left Tyrone Harris, Jr. (a black teen) critically wounded. The narrative about the weekend quickly pivoted to why police must be ready with their militarized department to quell any kind of unrest by black folks and their allies. The St. Louis Post Dispatch was compelled to change its whole cover page to make the adjustment, from a headline of “In This Together” to “A Violent Turn.” To add insult to injury, the Oath Keepers were allowed to come into town and patrol the streets, visibly armed and ready to carry out their oath to keep black people in their places. We must control our narrative and we must control our streets. Let’s get to work.
Published in the St. Louis American
July 30, 2015
Would Sandra Bland be on her way to the new job that awaited her at Prairie View A&M University if only she had not challenged the police who made the traffic stop? Twenty-eight year old Bland is dead after being arrested, her death ruled a suicide by Waller County, Texas officials. Many questions still swirl around her unnecessary death.
Sandra Bland was allegedly stopped for not using her signal when she changed lanes. The fact that she joins a growing list of black folks who’ve lost their lives at the hands of police for initial minor violations only increases the volatility between police and the African-American community. Read more
