#philandocastile
With the recent news of two highly publicized extrajudicial killings of Black men at the hands of police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota and the subsequent wave of protests around the country, Asians 4 Black Lives in the Bay Area (A4BL) renews the call for all non-Black people of Asian descent to show solidarity with Black communities.
As many Black activists have said before us, the police are charged with keeping order and that order has always been white supremacy, patriarchy and capitalism.* For this reason, Black and Brown communities will always be found guilty, the sentence is often death, and the victims are often recrucified in their death with problematic rationales that are promoted to justify the violence. We cannot trust that the individuals that uphold and implement institutions of state violence (e.g., police), regardless of their race, will be held accountable because they are “just doing their job.”
Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were the 135th and 136th Black people killed by police in 2016, only a little more than halfway through the year.** Violence directed at Black and Brown communities often goes without consequence. However, in the Dallas shooting that killed five police officers, injured seven more and two civilians, the suspect was killed on-site by a police-operated robot bomb. Furthermore, when the shooter was identified to be Black, the media rushed to link him to activist groups, Black nationalist groups, Black Lives Matter, even Black musicians, as a way to explain his violence. Black activists and movement leaders have had to make statements denouncing the shooter and his violent attack to defend themselves from an already anti-Black media and society that was all too ready to insist that they were responsible for the violence. The Black suspect was killed by the police and there will be no trial. In the court of public opinion, his guilt has already been established and Black-led groups have already been blamed.
Some Asian communities have been vocal in their support of police officers, specifically Asian police officers. This became apparent in the killing of Akai Gurley by Peter Liang in 2014. However, A4BL continues to be in solidarity with Black folks, communities, and Black-led movements to end the war on Black people. We will continue to hold Asians and Asian Americans in positions of power accountable to justice. While the officers involved in the execution of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling are not Asian, we call on Ramsey County Attorney, John J. Choi, to heed the Castile family’s request to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case.***
Beyond the stories we are familiar with, there are uncounted and unreported deaths by vigilantes, deaths of Black women, trans and gender non-conforming people, Black disabled folks and folks with other intersecting identities who are targets for racist, sexist, gendered, ableist, and other forms of oppressive violence.This is to say, all lives do not matter until Black lives matter. Now, more than ever, we need to call for an end to the unjust and ongoing daily inhumane treatment of Black people, an end to the police state, and an end to state-sanctioned violence. Our liberation is connected with the liberation of Black people and we call our Asian family, communities, and comrades to join the struggle, in solidarity with Black folks who find themselves under attack with daily direct threats to their lives and well-being.
*** http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/us/philando-castile-minnesota-police-shooting.html
In case you didn’t understand. Here is #JaneElliott demonstrating a very important point with a very simple question. I would HIGHLY recommend watching “The Angry Eye” where she demonstrates how destructive racism, sexism and ageism is. And how it works. Here is a link http://tinyurl.com/TheAngryEyeExperiment. Learn something. Goodnight. #BlackLivesMatter #AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile
“If you’re not angry then you’re not paying attention!” ALLIES you wanna help but aren’t sure how, well here is a link with useful information. http://tinyurl.com/YouCanBeAnAlly Thank you @kitten_larue for the link ❤️
Words by @erenomi:
This feels like too little, too late, but I can’t carry on in my sparkly fantasy world without acknowledging the systemic racism and violence that is happening all around me. I can’t carry on quietly enjoying my time with the wonderful people in my life without acknowledging the men, women, and children whose lives have been torn apart by police brutality THIS WEEK ALONE. It’s time for allies to wake up and join the fight!! #BlackLivesMatter #AltonSterling#PhilandoCastile
#SAYTHEIRNAMES
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Last night I could not sleep. I just kept hearing a boy sobbing calling out for for his dad who was murdered by police. He has to watch this video over and over. To add insult to injury, several news outlets begin to slander this voiceless victim. This boy has to go to bed hoping this is all a nightmare he’ll wake up from. But it’s his reality. It’s a reality too many have had to face and continue to live. It’s a reality Mothers have to warn their kids about right before sending them off to school. Don’t wear a hoodie. Don’t run too quickly. Make sure your hands are always in sight. But even then! EVEN THEN, You can still get murdered. Can you fucking imagine? He’s just a boy. A boy. What’s mind-blowing is the constant demand for evidence! But even when there is a CLEAR VIDEO, we still have to wonder if they’ll be indicted or will these murders go free. These families are denied safety and justice. This is not one bad cop. This is a CORRUPTED SYSTEM.
If you are one of those assholes that shout “All Lives Matter” please UNFOLLOW me. Or I’ll BLOCK YOU. No shit all lives matter BUT shouting or hashtagging All Lives Matter derails and completely ignores the history the black community has experienced at the hands of this country. ALSO nobody EVER shouted “All Lives Matter” until “Black Lives Matter” movement began. Check your privilege. TAKE SEVERAL SEATS. Even I, as a light skin Latina recognize the privilege that comes with being a certain skin tone with ambiguous features. Because colorism exists in MY culture. Even when you watch telenovelas all you see are green eyes with dirty blonde hair & European features representing Latinos as a whole.
#AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile #BlackLivesMatter
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This was written almost 30 years ago and is still relevant today. #blacklivesmatter #altonsterling #philandocastile #whiteprivilegeisreal #peggymcintosh
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“ … … , .“
Make no mistake, this was a threat issued by THEIR incompetent president himself. I think he made it pretty clear what he wants to be done.
is America
is America
Respect our existence or expect our resistance ✊✊✊✊#Blacklivesmatter @blacklivescincy #whosestreetsourstreets #cincygram #downtown #shutitdown #altonsterling #timothythomas #samdubose #joannburton #philandocastile #samdubose #blacklivescincy #cincinnati (at Cincinnati Police District One)
It may be hard to feel anything but anger, sadness, and helplessness in the wake of police shootings. But we need to remember that we can live in a world where police don’t kill people. We don’t have to accept this violence as normal.
Campaign Zero, a group dedicated to ending police violence that was launched last year by Black Lives Matter activists, offers research-based solutions for 10 policy areas that need dramatic reform in order to end police killings.
Photo Credit: Campaign Zero
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Yesterday was the anniversary of Philando Castile’s murder, the day before was the anniversary of Alton Sterlings murder. This poem by my guy @clintsmithiii continues to be relevant and timely and I wish it would no longer be. #blacklivesmatter #altonsterling #philandocastile #georgefloyd
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWlLFbnTGV/?igshid=6780j0ua3ib5
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