The surge of anti-Black rhetoric following the multiple shootings in Chattanooga over the last three weeks ignores the oppressive conditions that have plagued poor and Black communities in the South for decades. These continuous narratives and tactics used by local elected officials, media, and the Chattanooga Police Department isolate and diminish the progress of self determination in Black communities, and undermine the root causes of violence in our city.
When crime is discussed as it relates to Black and impoverished communities it is often used to further isolate people from each other and promote fear in order to increase policing and incarceration. When responding to the recent shootings, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly claims that he wants to treat “gun violence like the crisis that it is”. Rather than seeing gun violence as a crisis, Mayor Kelly should recognize that violence in the Black community is a symptom of a much deeper crisis that requires consideration of the conditions at play.
Chattanooga’s low wage economy, under-performing schools, lack of low-income housing, displacement through gentrification, poverty, anti-Black racism, and the systematic disinvestment in Black communities are all root causes of community violence in our city. The police cannot continue to be used by Chattanooga officials as the “silver bullet” for all social issues, especially when elected officials disregard the overwhelming state violence from the Chattanooga Police Department and city officials.
The tragedy of community violence cannot be stopped by blaming individuals, shutting down Black owned business, increasing policing, incarceration, surveillance, or even by merely amending gun laws. The prioritization of investing in community-based services and programs that address poverty and mental health should be the first steps in addressing this harm with long-term solutions. However, the city of Chattanooga continues to prioritize an ever-increasing police presence and incarceration rate. The effects of the criminalization of poverty continues to take its toll on the city’s most vulnerable communities.
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