DESPITE THE GUILTY VERDICT, INTOLERABLE PAIN REMAINS
This is nothing new and it is not an isolated case — if anything, this global pandemic has provided a spotlight — but this has been happening since the inception of this country. Let’s put it out there plain and simple: Black people have continuously been mistreated since they were forcibly removed from their countries and were brought across the Atlantic.
This mistreatment did not stop when slavery “ended” or during the civil rights movement. We still see it today. We see it with the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Tanisha Anderson, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, Eric Garner, George Floyd, Freddie Gray, Stephon Clark, Atatiana Jefferson, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright and countless others, most of whom died at the hands of police officers. Excuses could be and have been made about why these people were killed, but the bottom line is that they were Black, and that continues to be synonymous with suspicious and dangerous among police officers.
The narratives formed at the beginning of this country that criminalized and demonized Black people have simply been repackaged to something that the majority of the people in this country have no trouble justifying. They say they were drug dealers, had ties to gangs or simply did not comply with police instructions. Many immediately believe it because it is a better alternative to the reality. As much as I would love to convince everyone that they shouldn’t believe this narrative, it is not why I am here.
I am here to talk about what comes after: the insufferable pain that remains within the community. The fact that George Floyd’s girlfriend knew Daunte Wright is proof of how interconnected the suffering of these communities is. These people are grieving collectively and they have been grieving for years and they are simply done with this system that clearly has no regard for their lives. I think back to Halsey’s song lyrics, “I’m tired and angry, but somebody should be,” and that is why it is not my place nor anyone else’s place to downplay their reactions.
Yes, I’m talking about the protests, the “rioting and the looting.” As a non-Black, but clearly brown-skinned Latina, I cannot nor will I ever truly understand the rage, grief and impotence the Black community has felt, so I cannot judge their actions because my experiences are not the same as theirs. They are allowed to grieve and process in whatever way they want.
To those who will reply with, “that’s not the right way to do it,” specifically in regards to riots or looting, I ask you why? Is it not the right way because now others are inconvenienced? Is it not the right way because you think that material things are worth more than lives? What is the right way? Peaceful protests? Let me remind you that there have been peaceful protests that have been met with police in full riot gear or even the National Guard, making it quite clear that the state does not see them as peaceful. In these situations, any small action from protesters leads to actual riots. Many wonder what use is a peaceful protest when nothing ever actually changes?
This week, Derek Chauvin was found guilty for the murder of George Floyd, and although this is a step in the right direction, this is not a common outcome. I was relieved when I heard the verdict, but even this is not true justice — for justice would be that George Floyd and countless others would still be alive today.
I saw multiple posts on social media about this and I understand why people called out for the community to not let the momentum die. We, as a society, tend to forget quite quickly about these issues, especially if there is even a modicum of progress. If we really want things to change for the better we cannot let this go. This system is not built for the Black community. It’s that simple.
It’s easy to dream up an ideal world where none of these injustices happen, where racism is not at the core of every aspect of a country’s government structure, but getting there is a whole other thing. If we want to combat the narrative that nothing ever truly changes, we must analyze and be ready to dismantle the existing structures that are hurting communities of color and the Black community in particular. I want to see this country be the promised land that it claims to be, but are we as a society willing to put in the work to make this happen?
Many wonder what use is a peaceful protest when nothing ever actually changes?
Canchola is a graduate student pursuing a master’s of arts in interdisciplinary studies from Oregon State University focusing on underprivileged communities in the U.S.. She lives in Lemon Grove.