Every 28 hours a black person is killed by a police officer. Yet another unarmed black person, 18 year old Mike Brown, was killed by officer Darren Wilson on August 9th in Ferguson, Missouri. People in Ferguson are taking to the streets, demanding justice and braving excessive and cruel force from local police and the National Guard. Those of us who wish we could be in Ferguson, but can’t be, are protesting, tweeting, writing, donating, screaming, crying, or whatever we can do to process the fact that black people are still subhuman in 21st century America, and to process the fact that white people still don’t understand that the murder of black folks at the hands of law enforcement is a serious problem in the country.
By now I’m sure you’ve seen, heard, or talked with white people who don’t seem to understand that Ferguson is indeed about race, or that the response to protesters is beyond excessive. So I’ve put together this guide to deciphering white proverbs about Ferguson, which should come in handy the next time you’re talking to a white person (or anyone for that matter) who just doesn’t get it.
1. What they say: Stop jumping to conclusions/we don’t know all the facts about the shooting/this isn’t about race.
They deny the centuries-long history of violence committed against black people by the state, police, and the criminal justice system. Or, they believe this violence ended long ago and no longer affects us today.
They believe that black people should delay their reactions until the case is closed, which could take months or even years, and that we are irrational for being angry before then.
They are more concerned with the possibility of a black man doing something that deserved his execution, than the reality that a black man is now lying in a morgue.
They would never say something like this about violence committed by a black person (especially against a white person). White people have a history of jumping to conclusions and arresting or killing black people when suspected of wrongdoing. (Emmett Till never got to explain himself before he was killed in 1955, and more recently, nor did Eric Garner or John Crawford.)
2. What they say: The protesters are violent and looting. They are destroying their own town. They should be peaceful and cooperate with police.
By conflating the looters with the peaceful protesters, they conflate resistance to racism with violence and destruction, and perpetuate the stereotype that black people are inherently violent.
They excuse excessive police force used against peaceful demonstrators.
They forget about times when white people have rioted, such as Penn State students after Joe Paterno’s firing.
They deny the right of oppressed people to be angry about oppression. Centuries ago, they would have probably been against slave rebellions.
3. What they say: He robbed a convenience store. He was resisting or fighting with the officer. He smoked marijuana. He can’t possibly be a victim because he wasn’t innocent.
Black men deserve to die if they rob a few dollars worth of goods from a store.
Black men deserve to die even if they have their hands up.
Black men deserve to die if they resist arrest or defend themselves.
Black men deserve to die even if the gun they are holding is just a toy.
Black men deserve to die.
Meanwhile, white folks can proudly stroll through a Target store with assault rifles hanging off their shoulders, knowing that they will not get shot by a police officer. White people who refuse to pay grazing fees in Nevada can defend their assumed right to do so by pointing guns at federal agents without fear of being shot at. White terrorists and white mass murderers get taken away in police cars instead of being shot (not to mention sympathy from the media.) White people even write childrens books about how proud they are to use their white privilege to openly carry a gun without being mistaken for criminals. Must be nice.
4. What they say: The local police and National Guard are just doing their jobs.
Taking several days to release the name of the officer who killed Brown is acceptable.
The police department releasing an unrelated video of a robbery that may or may not have involved Mike Brown, in an attempt to assassinate his character, is acceptable.
Failing to immediately interview witnesses, arrest Darren Wilson, and otherwise conduct a proper investigation, is acceptable.
Leaving a dead body on the street for several hours in the scorching heat, while family and neighbors look on, is acceptable.
Using military-like force, including tear gas, which is illegal to use at wartime, against peaceful protesters, is acceptable.
Police ignoring proper protocol when it comes to black people and black neighborhoods, is acceptable.
Mistreatment of black people at the hands of the police, is acceptable.
5. What they say: Nothing at all.
They don’t care, and they think this doesn’t affect them.
Or perhaps, they aren’t sure what to do. (In this case, they should read this.)
This is what white people don’t understand about Ferguson: It’s not just about one black kid and one white police officer. This is about our place in this country, and in our country’s history. It’s about our 400 year long struggle to be seen and valued as human beings worthy of dignity and life.
So when someone says any of these things about Ferguson, they are saying that black lives don’t matter, that we don’t have a right to get angry, and that we should not resist oppression.
