Say Their Names

Black Lives Matter, Their Lives Mattered

There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.

Martin Luther King

In the United States, we are in the midst of a week of protests for change in George Floyd’s name. But this movement is bigger than just George Floyd. We are tired of unarmed black people being killed so easily by police officers because the color of their skin is supposed to mean they are more dangerous than a white person with a gun. Add the injustice of why such large numbers of black and brown people have and continue to die from the Coronavirus, and all the other ways systemic racism shows up in America, and there is no doubt why people have finally decided to take a stand.

You may be looking down on those in the streets for the violence, protesting, and looting on the news. But I would ask that first, you take a look deep inside your own heart. How would you feel if every day you wondered if your child, wife, or husband would be the next victim of police violence?

As to the looting, we’ve seen videos of white people doing a lot of the looting for nothing related to George Floyd’s death. We also know that not all looting is from white people. But let’s stop grouping all of the protesters into this group. Instead, acknowledge that hundreds of years of racism and frustration comes out at times like this. Trauma passes down from generation to generation, and we, as white people, have allowed it. Our silence benefited us. At the same time, those who tried to speak out were dismissed and shunned by friends and family. So instead, many of us chose to look away.

As to the violence, if you’re outraged, pay closer attention. Much of the violence we are seeing has been prompted by police actions. Maybe protesters are breaking curfew, but they are doing so to be heard. And how often have we in the U.S. bragged about our right to freedom of speech? But in this case, the administration and many local and state governments have sent out militarily armed police and troops to beat them back. This is the closest we have come to a civil war in our country for a very long time. It’s time to pick a side, I have chosen the lives of black men, women, and children. I hope that police and military members in this country will as well.

Possible Solutions

This week President Obama gave a town hall speech that provided us ways we could make a difference to combat racism and these deaths. He spoke to one of the ways that I was already writing about in this post and which has been discussed in past articles. That is by using your power to vote and specifically to vote locally.

If we are serious about ending the needless disproportionate deaths of black people at the hands of law enforcement in this country, we need to elect mayors, city council members, police chiefs, and sheriffs that will no longer allow our cities, and counties to operate in this manner. They must show us that they have embraced anti-racism. They should provide plans to train, hire, and provide continual education on anti-racism, de-escalating situations without violence, understanding mental health issues that cause some of these behaviors.

Will these programs cost money? Of course, but the cost of inaction is black people’s lives. It’s time we send the message that their lives are invaluable. We can find money for buildings, military equipment for police, and special projects that don’t directly benefit the majority of people. Let’s stop that and make people a priority.

While your voting locally, don’t forget to research the practices of these running for District Attorney positions. What is their record on prosecuting people of color disproportionally to the population? Do they champion trying to get those charged into alternative courts such as Veterans Court, substance abuse courts, etc.? These alternative courts have proven to have more positive outcomes for communities and often cost less than locking people up. And are they charging and prosecuting abusive police that commit crimes, especially racist crimes against black people?

Say Their Names

Below is a list of the names of black victims who are now famous because they were killed at the hands of law enforcement. I would encourage you to click on the links of their names to read the specific stories. If, after reading, you still have no clear understanding of why people are on the streets, then you should do some soul searching of your own.

What could these women, men, and children have accomplished if they were still with us today? How much love did we take from their families? What about their chance to watch their own children grow up? What have we as a country lost in addition to a part of our souls?

2020 (it’s only the beginning of June)

Tony McDade- 38 years old, June 3, 2020. Tallahassee, Florida.

George Floyd- 46 years old, May 25. 2020. Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Breonna Taylor- 26 years old, March 13, 2020. Louisville, Kentucky.

Ahmaud Arbery- 25 years old, February 23, 2020.Brunswick, Georgia. *

Say Their Names

2019

Atatiana Jefferson- 28 years old, October 12, 2019. Fort Worth, Texas.

Pamela Turner- 44 years old, May 13, 2019. Baytown, Texas.

Say Their Names

2018

Botham Jean- 26 years old, September 6, 2018. Dallas. Texas.

Stephon Clark- 22 years old, March 18, 2018. Meadowview (Sacramento), California.

Say Their Names

2017

Jordan Edwards- 15 years old, April 29, 2017. Balch Springs, Texas.

Say His Name (I am certain his was not the only death of this kind in 2017)

2016

Keith Lamont Scott- 43 years old, September 20, 2016. Charlotte, North Carolina.

Terence Crutcher- 40 years old, September 16, 2016. Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Korryn Gaines- 23 years old, August 1, 2016. Randallstown, Maryland.

Philando Castile- 32 years old, July 6, 2016. St. Anthony, Minnesota.

Alton Sterling- 37 years old, July 5, 2016. Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Phillip White- 32 years old, March 31, 2016. Vineland, New Jersey.

Say Their Names

2015

Corey Jones- 31 years old, October 18, 2015. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Sandra Bland- 28 years old, July 13, 2015. Hempstead, Texas.

Freddie Gray- 25 years old, April 12, 2015. Baltimore, Maryland.

Walter Scott- 50 years old, April 4, 2015. North Charleston, South Carolina.

Eric Harris- 44 years old, April 2, 2015. Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tony Robinson- 19 years old, March 6, 2015. Madison, Wisconsin.

Say Their Names

2014

Jerame Reid- 36 years old, December 30, 2014. Bridgeton, New Jersey.

Rumain Brisbon- 34 years old, December 2, 2014. Phoenix, Arizona.

Tamir Rice- 12 years old, November 22. 2014. Cleveland, Ohio.

Akai Gurley- 28 years old, November 20, 2014. Brooklyn, New York.

Tanisha Anderson- 37 years old, November 13, 2014. Cleveland, Ohio.

Laquan McDonald- 17 years old, October 20, 2014. Chicago, Illinois.

Dante Parker-36 years old, August 12, 2014. San Bernadino, California.

Ezell Ford- 25 years old, August 11, 2014. Los Angeles, California.

Michael Brown Jr. — 18 years old, August 9, 2014. Ferguson, Missouri.

John Crawford III- 22 years old, August 5, 2014. Beavercreek, Ohio.

Eric Garner- 43 years old, July 17, 2014. Staten Island (NYC), New York.

Dontre Hamilton- 31 years old, April 30, 2014. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Yvette Smith- 47 years old, February 16, 2014. Bastrop County, Texas.

Say Their Names

2010

Aiyana Stanley-Jones- 7 years old, May 16, 2010. Detroit, Michigan.

Say Her Name (7 years old, I am beyond words)

1998

Tyisha Miller- 19 years old, December 28, 1998. Riverside, California.

Say Her Name (Ms. Miller is often at the beginning of records of these type of deaths of recent times but we all know they go back hundreds of years)

*While George Floyd wasn’t killed by a current police officer, the man who killed him was in law enforcement and previously working in the District Attorney’s office.

Say Their Names

The people listed here didn’t want to be famous, and they didn’t need to die. Yes, they were black people, but that’s not all they were. Nor are any of us as simple as the color of our skin. They were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, children, grandparents, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, and people that meant something to those who knew and loved them. They were taken from them, they were taken from us. Who knows what they could have done if they lived. The impact they could have had on others, the children they could have finished raising. The loss is on all of us. SAY THEIR NAMES!

More resources

Another resource provided by President Obama for those that want to take action is found at the website antiracismproject.com. There you can read, listen, and learn about the issues and take action.

Color of Change is another excellent resource demanding change for people of color. I would encourage you to visit their website and sign up for their newsletter. They are proposing real actionable change that can be accomplished if more of us get on board and help.