Category: The Black Experience

So what do you do after falsely arresting and imprisoning someone who vows to get justice, and they end up dead? As this sickening tragedy continues to unfold its becomes more and more apparent, that the powers that be will do whatever it takes, to ensure that those responsible for Sandra Bland’s murder are protected.

Those of us who really understands how this so called justice system works in regards to black people, knew and expected that those claiming to be investigating her death, would do whatever it takes to deflect and change the narrative, from the fact that she was unlawfully arrested, detained and subsequently found dead. To the fact that she was not only depressed she was suicidal. Ultimately taking her own life. This despite the fact that she has NEVER been clinically diagnosed.

Now we’re hearing from the investigation, allegations that go from her having previously attempted to commit suicide, to her self harming, to her having marijuana in her system. This is the investigation that their supposedly doing to see how Sandra Bland died. But even if that’s true what does that have to do with what happened to her? Why because this builds a bases for everything they will do going forward.

However for some strange reason the ONLY one that seem to be under investigation is Sandra Bland. We’ve heard nothing in regards to the investigation involving the bully boy thug with a badge Brian Encinia, who falsely accused and arrested Sandra Bland on trumped up charges, who both verbally and physically assaulted her both in and outside of the vehicle.

Who escalated a minor routine traffic stop from simply issuing her either a citation, warning, ticket and LET HER GO. Once it was deemed that there was no clear or present danger. To threatening to light her up with his taser, terrorizing this woman in the most despicable, cowardly and demeaning way.

Despite the fact that a preliminary investigation found that Encinia violated traffic stop & courtesy protocols. We seem to be unable to find out from DPS what exactly does ” violating traffic stop & courtesy protocols” really mean? Could they possibly be referring to his despicable, disgusting, aggressive, arrogant, egotistical, combative, abrasive, bullying behaviour? You think (sarcasm). What is the status with his investigation I wonder, if any?

Hell even “DPS Director Steve McCraw stated that regardless of the situation, the DPS state trooper has an obligation to exhibit professionalism and be courteous,” “That did not happen in this situation.” When Texas State Senator Royce West was asked by reporters if Sandra Bland caused her own death, West said “no.” He also added that she didn’t deserve to be arrested in the first place.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it over, and over, and over again, were it NOT for the actions of bully boy thug with a badge Brian Encinia, Sandra Bland would still be alive today. SANDRA BLAND’S BLOOD IS ON BRIAN ENCINIA HANDS! So it begs the question who is actually being investigated? The woman that was profiled, targeted and subsequently FOUND DEAD or the individuals both directly and indirectly who came into contact with Sandra Bland?

Let us be very clear every effort and attempt WILL be made to smear, tarnish, impeach, discredit and destroy Sandra Bland’s character and credibility. They will dig up whatever dirt they can to sully her reputation. That strategy has proved effective in the past, so I see no reason for them to deviate from it now. This is something they MUST DO, in order to deflect from this disgusting tragedy, that should have never, ever happened in the first place, to it being about Sandra Bland herself.

This witch-hunt has absolutely nothing to do with getting justice for Sandra Bland, this is about protecting, concealing and covering-up, for all parties involved. After all if they really wanted justice for her she would have NEVER BEEN ARRESTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

So whatever they do at this point will be a whitewash both figuratively and literally. The system will do whatever it takes to protect a corrupt dirty cop! Just ask Serpico. Because keeping the status quo and keeping law and order, is the most important thing they can and must do at this point. What Sandra Bland’s case shows is how as a black person in America you have NO RIGHTS.

And just in case you forget your place, you’ve not only got bully boy thugs with badges to contend with, but the entire legal system at their disposal to do their bidding for them. I continue to be astounded by the sheer level of ignorance, bigotry, hate and downright stupidity that many whites and even some blacks have as it relates to what is really happening in this country.

Again there are those that get it and those that don’t, Sandra Bland got it, and did her best to articulate it by using ‪#‎SandySpeaks‬ as a platform to share her views about the things that mattered to her. A beautiful and articulate woman, she was full of life outgoing, and mindful, who spoke truth to power based on what she saw, both as a passionate black woman as well as an activist.

A 28-year-old woman who made a decision to relocate to another state after having had being offered not one but two jobs, a woman who was looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life. Who loved her family and was in turn loved by them. Who now are having to deal with the horror of what happened to their loved one, their sister, daughter and aunt.

Trying to make sense of and understand how their sister who on the day she was arrested was on her way to a job interview with her former university, Prairie View A & M University. Ends up dead days later. How tragic and ironic that someone who felt compelled to speak out against racism and injustice, becomes a victim of it herself. Sandra Bland’s family has every reason to be sceptical in regards to anything authorities tell them whether it be the events before and after, the autopsy and everything in-between.

We will NOT allow this corrupt system that is rigged at every single solitary point, to put Sandra Bland on trial. The only ones that should be on trial is the bully boy thug with a badge Brian Encinia, and the other responding officers, individuals at the Waller County Jail as well as the entire judicial and criminal system itself.

The sad reality is that with a grand jury deciding whether Sandra Bland was murdered, or she died of a suicide. And with the long racist history of Waller County itself. The odds of anyone being criminally held accountable for her arrest, jail time, and death are slim to none. This is the reality of living in an institutionally racist white supremacist society where black lives don’t matter.

‪#‎SandraBland‬

‪#‎IfIDieInPoliceCustody‬

‪#‎BlackLivesMatters‬

‪#‎NowLegalizeBeingBlackInAmerica

Misty Copeland, a 32-year-old ballerina who starred in an Under Armour ad and appeared in a Prince video, was named the principle dancer at the American Ballet Theater, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the highest ranking in the company’s 75-year history.

“I had moments of doubting myself, and wanting to quit, because I didn’t know that there would be a future for an African-American woman to make it to this level,” she said at a news conference after the annoncement. “At the same time, it made me so hungry to push through, to carry the next generation. So it’s not me up here—and I’m constantly saying that—it’s everyone that came before me that got me to this position.”

Copeland has appeared on the cover of Time magaazine and garnered a larger profile, in parts to her extraordinary talent and her outspoken desire to hold the top spot at the American Ballet Theater.

So how is Britain dealing with racism, apart from its periodic use as a political football, or the broader issue of diversity? Last year, there was a loud and determined effort with government ministers roped in to address diversity within the broadcast and film industries.

The year before, in comparison, there was a more muted and internally-focused effort to do the same within music – all the major music industry bodies signed up to the Equality & Diversity For Music. RE:IMI (Race Equality: In Music Industry) would like to see this effort succeed, and during this year’s British Black Music Month, aims to galvanise stakeholders in redoubling their efforts in addressing equality issues.

An election year, is a particularly good time to be dealing with these issues. The major political parties have all issued their manifestos, some like Labour and Lib-Dem, have actually also issued mini-manifestos addressing the inequalities faced by Britain’s African, Asian and ethnic minority (AAEM) communities. Community organisations such as OBV (Operation Black Vote), BTEG (Black Training & Enterprise Group), and for the first time the ‘black’ church under the auspices of NCLF (National Church Leaders Forum), have also issued manifestos.

This election, like any since the notorious 1964 elections from which the victorious Labour government introduced the RRA, has had its fair share of ‘race’, racism, immigration and xenophobia stories.

All this is happening at a time when we should be marking the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the 1965 Race Relations Act (RRA), the bedrock of Britain’s equality laws. You would be forgiven if what should be a landmark legislation, which came about as a consequence of African-led activism with the support of progressive Europeans, has passed you by.

There’s been no fanfare, not even the merest mention anywhere. This is interesting, particularly at a time when some feel there’s been a roll-back of progress made in tackling racism in the intervening decades be it through entrenched institutional, the usual insidious or covert, or the occasional overt manifestations of racism 50 years on.

It’s against this backdrop that London community groups BTWSC and African Histories Revisited mark British History 50:70, on May 14, one week after the general election, with the launch of a documentary in Westminster in which over 50 people, drawn from diverse backgrounds opine on the state of racism in Britain.

Contributors to the ‘Look How Far We’ve Come: Commentaries On British Society And Racism?’ DVD, which will be launched at the Abbey Centre in Westminster, include the late politician Tony Benn, who was instrumental in the passage of the 1965 RRA. There are other politicians such as David Lammy, Keith Vaz, Diane Abbott, Ken Livingstone; ‘race’ activists Lord Herman Ouseley, Lord Anthony Lester, Linda Bellos, Dr Richard Stone; community and political activists Darcus & Leila Howe,Eric & Jessica Huntley, Lee Jasper, Marc Wadsworth, Toyin Agbetu; academics Prof Gus John, Prof Harry Goulbourne, Prof Paul Gilroy; trade unionists Lord Bill Morris, Zita Holbourne, Wilf Sullivan;and Bristol Bus Boycott leader Paul Stephenson. Contributors are also drawn from the Church, law, police, nursing, and broadcasting.

The guest of honour is educationalist Dame Jocelyn Barrow, a founding member of CARD (Campaign Against Racial Discrimination), one of the organisations whose work led to the 1968 amendment, which brought employment and housing under the purview of the RRA. The launch is preceded by a post-Easter presentation entitled ‘Is Jesus White?’.

A competition based on a teaser video consisting of snippets without sound posted on Youtube (http://bit.ly/1MyamSp) will run from May 1-9. Winners who decipher what’s being said by a particular contributor will receive a copy of the DVD, the ‘Look How Far We’ve Come: The Race/Racism Primer’, and two complimentary tickets to the launch. For more details or to book for launch: http://bit.ly/1xWMG1d.