Adventures of a Brooklyn Blerd

Here are my thoughts, beliefs, feelings and rants. My adventures, my experiences, my travels, my hopes and my dreams. The books I read, the movies I see, the shows I watch. My reflections. My opinions. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Welcome to the Adventures of A Brooklyn Blerd.

[brooklynblerd]

So you think the Chauvin verdict was justice

So at my job, I am a member of the recently created DEI team. DEI = Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Now, I knew going into it that it would most likely be & feel pointless, but I am willing to try to change the viewpoints and mindsets of these “liberals and allies” who think they don’t have any racist or white supremacist ideologies or mindsets. I endeavor to keep Black in the forefront and not let Black issues get pushed aside, pushed to the bottom, or lost in the people of color or LGBTQ+ discussions and debates. All of this is what recently led me down the rabbit hole about George Floyd and the Derek Chauvin verdict. 

So of course, all of these liberals and coons are jumping for joy, thinking that justice was served and that we can all breathe a sigh of relief. THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. I would also add that justice will never be achieved while we are accepting of and distracted by symbolism and empty platitudes. We do not need George Floyd statues. We need an end to Qualified Immunity. We need to break up and take away the power of the police unions. We need to stop these demonic race soldiers, parading around as police officers from being able to get fired from one police department only to be hired in another one by taking away their Peace Officer licenses. I am not going to get into politics and the incompetence and ineffectiveness of our elected officials, especially the Congressional Black Caucus.

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that Chauvin is convicted and has to spend time in jail. It’s just not enough time in jail. Especially considering the time he has already spent inside awaiting sentencing counts towards his overall time and that he is eligible for parole in 15 years or less. I managed to find a few examples while explaining my stance during the DEI meeting. Here are some sentences given to race soldiers that were actually convicted of a crime: 

Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd - 22.5 years

Amber Guyger killed Botham Jean - 10 years (she is already appealing her sentence)

Jason Van Dyke killed Laquan McDonald - 6 years 

Now to highlight more disparities within the justice system, here are a few examples of sentences given to Black men:

Michael Thompson was given 60 years for selling 3 pounds of marijuana 

Kelontre Barefield was given 34 years for killing a police dog 

Fair Wayne Bryant was given life without parole for stealing hedge clippers (he has been granted parole after spending 24 years in prison)

Willie Simmons was given life without parole for stealing $9

Allen Russell was given life without parole for possession of 1.5 ounces of marijuana 

Matthew Rushin was given 50 years for a non-fatal car accident that was caused by his seizure 

Let me clarify, I don’t agree with killing animals, but I listed Kelontre to highlight that the dog’s life is more important than the life of a Black person in the eyes of the law. How is it that Kelontre’s sentence for killing the dog is more than any of the race soldiers I listed got for killing an actual human being? 

At this point I posed these questions to the group, if Derek Chauvin wasn’t white, how would he be viewed by society and how would he have been charged? 

If Derek Chauvin wasn’t a “police officer”, how would he be viewed by society and how would he have been charged?

Beyond the obvious reasons, there are more reasons why I don’t feel sorry for Chauvin and neither should anyone else. As his mother mentioned during her plea to the jury (where she didn’t mention the Floyd family or acknowledge that her son committed a heinous crime), Chauvin was on the police force for 19 years. 19 years and he didn’t know any better? Chauvin was also one of the trainers for the rookies joining the force. A trainer didn’t know any better? He was literally teaching this to the new officers, yet they always claim that there are only “a few bad apples”. How can that be when the bad apples are teaching the new apples their bad ways? The cycle continues. There wouldn’t have been a George Floyd if Chauvin was dealt with after any of the numerous complaints filed against him throughout his career, most notably from 2017 when he hit a 14 year old boy with a flashlight and pinned him down with his knee for 17 minutes. So no, George Floyd wasn’t his first instance of kneeling on someone. I always say that you never get caught doing something for the first time. 

Did anyone have anything to say after I said everything above? No. Just looks of shock and confusion. Now imagine what the world would be like if everyone took the time to do basic google searches and dig a little deeper instead of just accepting what the mainstream media throws at us and being happy when they say we should be. People have to learn to look beyond their comfort zones and think outside of their own beliefs. But in these divided states of Amerikkka, that would be too much like right. 

[brooklynblerd]

In the end, it's not the words of our enemies that we will remember, it's the silence of our friends.

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[brooklynblerd]

So You Want To Be An Ally

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been fielding many white-guilt questions at work and having very interesting conversations and Zoom calls. Overall, they have been well received, but I am not sure if anything will happen once this is no longer a hot topic. I hope we keep up the momentum, but the media and Politicians and other power holders will try to silence us as quickly as possible. All of the companies realizing that #BlackLivesMatter will inevitably fade away as well. WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. So I made a list of talking points for the company that I work for, I hope they put it to use. I will begin sending this to anyone that reaches out to me to “talk” or “to see if I am ok”. While I appreciate the concern (if it’s genuine), I cannot continue being your only Black friend or the only Black person that you feel comfortable speaking to. 

I saw this on Twitter recently, White privilege doesn't mean that your life hasn't been hard, it just means that the color of your skin isn't one of the things that makes it harder. I think this pretty much sums up what white people need to understand, what those people calling themselves our allies need to understand. Having Black pride & saying Black Lives Matter should not offend anyone. It does not mean that we are anti white people.

Black people are not a monolith. While we have all experienced racism in some form or another, we do not share the exact same experiences with it. To try and get an overall view of the different types of racism, you need to speak to many different Black people. Stop treating us as a collective, we are all individuals.  Racism has permeated every single institution in this country. Education, Housing, Banking, Healthcare, Criminal Justice, Entertainment, etc. Racism is very much systemic, not always overt. There are also many different microaggressions that do not present as overt racism. Also, if we are going to have these discussions, please make sure that we feel safe, that we will be heard without reprimand or cynicism or disbelief. Our silence is the reason why this has gone on for so long. We want to be heard. We are no longer willing to stay invisible. Fear makes many of us stay silent, not willing to upset the status quo.

Revamp your hiring strategy/quota. People and organizations tend to conflate diversity and inclusivity. They are NOT the same. While there are many women, LGBTQIA members, Black and other People of Color, the Executives, Sales Management, and HR do not reflect this.

Conversations about race and other social justice issues are uncomfortable. Having these conversations without any Black and People of color present is pointless. Make sure you have Black people and other People of Color in any discussions you have regarding race relations and any other social justice issues. Empathy and sympathy is great, but it will not replace an actual experience.

Understand that the current state of the world has been a long time coming. George Floyd was the straw that broke the camel's back. The only difference is that everyone has a camera now and the police aren't doing themselves any favors by brutalizing everyone who is protesting police brutality.

Acknowledge your privilege. Acknowledge that the system is built to benefit you more than it does us and that it always has.

Saying "I'm not racist" isn't enough anymore. You have to be anti-racist. You have to stop the jokes, stereotypes, etc amongst your circle of friends and family members. This will be hard. But Black and Brown lives have to matter more than offending anyone that is unwilling to change.

Racism is not up to Black people and other People of Color to solve. This wasn't created or instituted by us and as we remain the "minority" in positions of power, we are unable to change it. We only have the ability to fight it, to rise up and demand change. To show that we will no longer take it. We will no longer be silent. We were all taught to be quiet and hold our feelings in to make sure that white people are comfortable. To make sure that we don’t appear threatening or angry. That is changing. Things will not go back to the way that they were. 

Books to read in your journey of becoming an ally:

How To Be An Antiracist - Ibram X. Kensi

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin Diangelo

So You Want To Talk About Race - Ijeoma Oluo

Me and white Supremacy - Layla F. Saad

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - Ibram X. Kendi

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates 

Notes of A Native Son - James Baldwin 

Born A Crime - Trevor Noah

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower - Brittany Cooper

Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth - Dana-Ain Davis

Racism without Racists: Colorblind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States - Edwardo Bonilla-Silva

Towards the Other America: Anti-Racist Resources for White People Taking Action for Black Lives Matter - Chris Crass

Two Faced Racism: Whites in the Backstage and Frontstage - Leslie Picca and Joe Feagin

How To Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy and the Racial Divide - Crystal Fleming

The Ethnic Project: Transforming Racial Fiction into Ethnic Factions - Vilna Bashi Treitler

Race and Racisms: A Critical Approach - Tanya Golash Boza

Racist America: Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations - Joe Feagin

White Rage; the Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide - Carol Anderson

Black Americans - Alphonso Pinkney

Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to Present - Harriet Washington

The Hollywood Jim Crow: The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry- Maryann Erigha

Code of the Street - Elijah Anderson

The Wretched of the Earth - Frantz Fanon

The Mis-Education of the Negro - Carter Woodson

UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol.1 - Joseph Zerbo

UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. 2 - G. Mokhtar

Black Wealth/White Wealth - Melvin Oliver and Thomas Shapiro

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race - Beverly Daniel Tatum

Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice - Paul Kivel

Witnessing Whiteness - Shelly Tochluk

Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race - Derald Wing Sue

The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching about Race and Racism to People Who Don't Want to Know - Tema Jon Okun

Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships Across Race - Frances Kendall

The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics - George Lipsitz

Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race - Debby Irving

How I Shed My Skin: Unlearning the Racist Lessons of a Southern Childhood - Jim Grimsley

Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice: 15 Stories - editors = Eddie Moore, Marguerite W. Penick-Parks & Ali Michael

Understanding and Dismantling Racism: The Twenty-First Century Challenge to White America - Joseph Barndt

Beyond the Pale: White Women, Racism, and History - Vron Ware

Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism, and Racial Violence - editors = Chad Williams, Kidada E. Williams & Keisha N. Blain

We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America - editors = Elizabeth Betita Martinez, Matt Meyer & Mandy Carter. Forward by Cornel West. Afterword by Alice Walker & Sonia Sanchez

killing rage: Ending Racism - bell hooks

Acting White? Rethinking Race in Post-Racial America - Devon W. Carbado and Mitu Gulati

Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy - Chris Crass

White Like Me: Reflections on Race form A Privileged Son - Tim Wise

White Trash: Race and Class in America - editors = Annalee Newitz & Matt Wray

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces - Radley Balko

Race Traitor - editors = Noel Ignatiev & John Garvey

Feeling White: Whiteness, Emotionality, and Education (Cultural Pluralism #2) - Cheryl E. Matias

Disrupting White Supremacy

Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times - AmySonnie, James Tracy

For White Folks Who Teach in The Hood...and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education (Race, Education, and Democracy) - Christopher Emdin

Benign Bigotry: The Psychology Subtle Prejudice - Kristin J. Anderson

Subversive Southern: Anne Braden and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Cold War South (Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century) - Catherine Fosl

How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America - Karen Brodkin

America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America - Jim Wells

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge

Living Into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America - editor = Catherine Meeks

Promise And A Way Of Live: White Antiracist Activism - Becky Thompson

What Does It Mean to Be White?: Developing White Racial Literacy (Counterpoints #398) - Robin Diangelo

[brooklynblerd]

[brooklynblerd]

They say that the police are here to "serve and protect" 🤔 As a Black person living in America, I know this is not the case. We are constantly reminded that this is not the case. It's rare to hear from the "good police officers", mystical creatures that they are. Even more rare to hear them go against their peers. I commend this man for speaking out. This is what an ally looks like. Too bad he was fired for his bravery and defiance. I love that he even pointed out that America fights wars "under the guise of freedom". Take heed of his warning. Yes, we are tired. Yes, there will come a time when we will have had enough. Will have taken enough. When we will take no more. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best when he said, "Those who do nothing while witnessing injustice and wrong-doing do worse than those who commit acts of injustice. The privileged have a responsibility to do what they know is right". I know that acknowledging race issues is painful. I know that it makes people uncomfortable. Too bad. The only way anything will change and any progress will be made is when we talk and fix the issues that have plagued Black people and other people of color in America. I'm uncomfortable too.

[brooklynblerd]

"It is not difficult to avoid death, it is much more difficult to avoid wickedness, for it runs faster than death."

-Socrates

[brooklynblerd]

#Walk #TheRona #GothamCityHeadingToTheWalkingDead #EndingAtTheHungerGames #AdventuresOfABrooklynBlerd https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GaS_ZHYWQ/?igshid=1klh9rtxa9tsf

[brooklynblerd]

#FoodForThought https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7E97in-oT/?igshid=1443f7rjze02x

[brooklynblerd]

BrooklynBlerd on Twitter

“🤔🤔🤔 Is it bad that this doesn't even surprise me? #TrevorNoah #TheDailyShow”

[brooklynblerd]

#SupplyRun #TheRona #AdventuresOfABrooklynBlerd (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2zm0PHpbU/?igshid=1c1hppxbpvpky

[brooklynblerd]

BrooklynBlerd on Twitter

“So someone came to the same realization that I did & knows that this may be where we're heading. #HungerGames #TheRona”

[brooklynblerd]

& this is why I watch & support independent media. It's clear that 45 is only willing to help those who kiss his orange ass. #TheRona #Trumptard

[brooklynblerd]

Had to go to the Post Office & make a supply run. #TheRona #AdventuresOfABrooklynBlerd (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Se3kbgOfo/?igshid=q4zcwdbx6stv

[brooklynblerd]

BrooklynBlerd on Twitter

“How I feel sitting in these Zoom meetings that could have been emails #Joker #WFH #SaveMe #TheRona”

[brooklynblerd]

BrooklynBlerd on Twitter

“🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 NY, we are on our own. https://t.co/P5peBLOGf7”

[brooklynblerd]

BrooklynBlerd on Twitter

“I feel like we started in Gotham City, are heading to The Walking Dead & will end in The Hunger Games”

[brooklynblerd]

Dealings With Coon

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. This is one of the most ignorant conversations I’ve had the misfortune of participating in. 

Coon: (looking at our old boss’s pics of his son) Don’t the baby look like him?

Me: No.

Coon: Yes it does, he looks like his mom.

Me: Wtf are you talking about? He isn’t his mom, he's his other dad. 

Coon: What are you talking about? One of them is the mom & he is the mom, he said his husband is all man.

Me: Unless he has specified that he identifies as a female & wishes to use feminine pronouns he is still a man.

Coon: No, that will confuse the child, there has to be a mom & dad.

Me: Says who? You can’t tell them what to do. The kid will more than likely call them both Dad. 

Coon: That doesn’t make sense.

Me: I really don’t know why I let you drag me into this conversation, but since I want to help erase some ignorance in the world, I will try to educate you. (deep breath) You better get your thoughts and pronouns in order. One of your sons is gay, you need to learn about his lifestyle so you don’t offend him or his partner.  

Coon: No, me & my husband already told him that he is still a man & better be a man in the relationship. He better be a top & not a bottom. 

Me: who the fuck are you to tell him that? 

Coon: I’m just saying & if he does have kids, I’m gonna raise them so they aren’t confused.

Me: The only one confused is you & I would hope that your son gets as far away from you as he can so this cycle of negativity and ignorance can end with you and your husband. 

Coon: You don’t have kids, so you don’t understand. 

Me: That’s true, I don’t have children that I birthed, but I raised my sister & I know that if she ever came out to me as a member of the LGBTQIA community that I would accept her & not try to put my expectations on her. Isn’t the point of loving your children to actually love them? You are correct, I do not understand. I do not understand how people who are discriminated against can discriminate against another marginalized group.

Coon: No, not in my house. 

Me: You will lose your son & the opportunity to know your grandchildren if you don’t change (as I was walking away).