No doubt about it. The Missouri Supreme Court’s decision to throw out the murder charges against Reggie Clemons was a glimmer on a dark day. Still, there’s a rocky road ahead for the Justice for Reggie Campaign on the way to Reggie’s freedom.
Tuesday was the anniversary of the no-indictment of Darren Wilson, convicted by the community of Mike Brown’s murder but exonerated by Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCullough. To add salt to that unhealed wound, the video was released catching Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke pumping 16 bullets into the black body of of Laquan McDonald. It took all of 30 seconds.
In Minneapolis, five Black Lives Matter protesters were shot at a vigil for Jamar Clark, killed by Minneapolis cops on November 15.
Black Lives still don’t matter because university presidents say so, because mayors says so, because police chiefs says so, because attorneys general say so, because elected officials says so. As Dr. Martin Luther King said in 1968, “We got some difficult days ahead.” It’s clear that we will have some difficult days in 2016.
We who believe in freedom and justice must re-double our efforts, stop the silliness (ego-trippin’, individualism, etc.) and rally around a disciplined strategy to get racial and economic justice. It’s time.
