#005: #BLACKLIVESMATTER
“Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation”
When I sat down to write the music industry article for this week it just didn’t feel right. Not yet. While the world must get back to some level of normalcy — and I will write a music industry article for next week — the need for a continued and sustained effort around the #BlackLivesMatter movement is essential and it will continue in this election year. Even though this blog won’t always be the platform for me to voice my feelings on issues of race and policing in America, I will not be silent and I encourage you to do the same. So in lieu of this weeks article, I have a few quick points that have been in mind this week…
White people… please don’t give the black power fist unless specifically asked or prompted to do so at a protest or rally. It’s called the black power fist for a reason. This isn’t one of the issues that we are all marching for and I don’t want to interject other problems into the mix. Racism and power of abuse with policing are the issues. If you a white person at the protest, no one should question your motives or have any major issues if you do. But I’ve also had enough conversations with Black friends over these past two weeks to say with confidence, please don’t. Not unless prompted by a speaker or organizer that is calling for the raised fist as a moment for solidarity.
If you have ever typed or thought about typing ‘All Lives Matter,’ I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you are just a total idiot. It’s better than the more likely reality of me calling you racist scum. Equality for all is the goal, but someone who chooses to use ‘All Lives Matter’ as their message isn’t saying that… they are intentionally diminishing the value of Black lives. Period.
The more research that I do on the true meaning and real life applications of #DefundThePolice or #AbolishThePolice, the more I am intrigued and confident of big cities in America taking this path. Some people read that and think this means total anarchy and that you’d be on your own. Far from it. Defunding the police is a simple act of taking funds that would have been allocated towards a police department and routing it into other areas, likely into social programs focused on at-risk people and communities. The next level of this philosophy — and one that the Minneapolis Police Department is about to enter — is the abolishment of the police department as a whole. Does this mean that you can’t call 911 if you have a problem? No. You most certainly can. The difference would be that if you’re calling about a mentally ill family member threatening to hurt themselves, you won’t receive an overly aggressive man with a gun. You would be sent a social worker who is trained in dealing with your exact situation. Or if you call 911 about someone on drugs or who may be at risk of overdosing, a substance abuse counselor would be sent out.
The reality is that the police are there to make white people feel safe. Police don’t prevent crime from occurring. They simply show up after it does and then do an incredibly poor job at solving it. Is this the best system that we can create? I refuse to believe that. I support significantly defunding police departments in big cities around the country. Not 3-5% reductions of the budget — like the Mayor of Los Angeles has proposed — but defunding departments by 30-50%+. I have this stance because while I fully support the system that implements social workers, substance abuse counselors and the like into the field, I also don’t think that you can simply send a social worker into a situation of a mentally ill man swinging a sword in a busy intersection and expect that to always lead to a good outcome. I am hopeful that we use this time to educate ourselves and create the change that is needed.Last but certainly not least, we all just need to vote. Nothing can be written on this topic that hasn’t been said before. If you have never voted before, this is the one election to do it. Our country and future are at stake.
JAY’S SONGS OF THE WEEK
Terrace Martin - “Pig Feet” (featuring Kamasi Washington, G Perico & Daylyt)
Run The Jewels - “JU$T” (featuring Pharrell Williams & Zack De La Rocha)
YG - “FTP”
Nasty C - “They Don’t” (featuring T.I.)
Tee Grizzley - “Mr. Officer” (featuring Queen Naija & the Detroit Youth Choir)
Trey Songz - “2020 Riots: How Many Times”
