The Shut-UP Questions

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Most violent crime is intra-racial and happens because of proximity. There is also white on white crime. People bring this up to get you to shut up about white police on black crime. They hope to get you stuck in a loop defending intra-racial violence and try to suggest intra-racial violence only happens in black communities. Systemic denial of services in poor neighborhoods is what makes those neighborhoods bad, not any intrinsic qualities of a certain race. Also, when black people kill other black people, there is accountability, they go to jail. When white police officers kill black people, the white police officers, most times, don’t.

Why are you saying black lives matter, when you know all lives matter?

OK, Amy, you know that we mean black lives matter too and that all lives can’t matter until black lives matter.

Why do you riot?

Because you feel you have not been heard. You tried kneeling, you tried peaceful protests, you tried hashtags, you tried screaming, and they are still murdering your people in the light of day with cameras rolling and hands in their pockets. Amy, even you blew up when that man asked you to leash your dog.

What should I do?

Use your privilege to call out and fight racism and injustice whenever you see it, even if it pisses off your non-black friends. Stand up for justice at work – black friends at work are suffering every day from injustices that can be attributed to their skin color; treated with discourtesy, treated as though they are not smart, treated as though people should be afraid of them, treated as though what they just said should be dismissed, mistreated because privilege may not be enough to help compete against a very qualified underrepresented minority. Amy stop saying they shouldn’t bring up the race card, they shouldn’t be so angry.

Why defund the police?

Amy, you are not confused. You know that defunding the police means to no longer invest in qualified immunity, civil asset forfeiture, the drug war, over-criminalization, no-knock warrants, militarization of police, and mandatory minimums, but invest more in housing, education, community, and our youth.

Amy, I, too have privilege and influence.  I have earned that over time.  I commit to mentor.  I commit to building up my sisters who have to deal with the daily indignities that are suffocating.  I commit to speak up and call out racism and injustice.  I commit to insisting on not making the hire until a slate of under-represented candidates is interviewed.  I commit to speak up when I see all the underrepresented employees at the bottom of the evaluation ratings.  I commit to building up the self-esteem of our black children that have to listen to leaders tell them to accept injustice because … what do they have to lose?

Yeah, I commit to not accepting that our children’s lives matter less, and I commit NOT to shut up.