This morning, whilst eating my breakfast before work, I turned on the news. The first sight was of an older black man speaking words of motivation to his people. The funeral was that of Michael Brown, the 18 year old African-American boy shot six times by a white police officer. The boy was unarmed.
The funeral wasn’t a silent, sullen setting of tears or violence. There was singing, dancing and joy in the expanse of mourners at the church. They wanted to celebrate the boy’s life.
While the murder happened over two weeks ago in Missouri, this was the moment it really struck a cord with not only those attending the funeral, but those around the world watching the scenes. The crowd would have contained less than 1% of white people. We believe racism and racial oppression is a topic of the past, but it continues to lurk along the depths like a shark waiting to feast.
I chewed on my cereal, listening to the words of civil rights leaders and family members. This wasn’t your ordinary funeral. It was a stand. It was a way of telling the world that despite the tragedy, Michael lives on. Michael is an example.
There is racial tension in the United States; this isn’t a first. And we cannot excuse ourselves from the issue here in Australia. Protests have begun, and even though the family requests peace as they mourn their murdered child, the father led the march.
After all the examples littered in our history and the words of legends such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, the issue lingers. Police were on hand at the funeral, heavily armed, aware of possibilities that can turn in to probabilities.
Many African-Americans who didn’t know Michael took the day off work to attend the funeral. They were noted to all speak a similar message: this is an important day for our community. The word ‘our’ shouldn’t refer to colour any longer. I thought we were past that. They spoke of justice. Justice is a term dictated by the individual.
And this is where I bring you to the words of Revered Al Sharpton, the man I watched during my consumption of breakfast.
While his address was never intended to start any sort of uprising, the delivery and the reaction made me turn to the person next to me. We both thought it was worrying.
“Some of us act like the definition of blackness is how low you can go.”
“Blackness has never been about being a gangster or thug. … Blackness was, no matter how low we were pushed down, we rose up anyhow!”
“Blackness was never surrendering.”
Cheers and shouting then follows in a brief pause, before Sharpton continues.
“Our pursuit of excellence. It was when it was against the law to go to some schools, we built black colleges and learned anyhow. When we couldn’t go downtown to church, we built our own. … We never surrendered! We never gave up.”
And then he said people in the black community act like it isn’t black to be a success.
“Now you want to be a nigger and call your woman a ho — you’ve lost where you come from!”
“We’ve got to clean up our community so we can clean up the United States of America.”
These words, in their purest form, are telling people to straighten up and move away from bad labels and ancient excuses.
To the wrong ears they stir the mind.
He said ‘no’ to the violent protests. He said the community shouldn’t expect others to help if they continue to run around gunning one another down in the street. He said Michael Brown should be the start of change. He said all that should be said in quelling potential chaos. But his delivery was emotional, uplifting and powerful.
He points, he shouts, he uses the family to illuminate the situation: “They’re heartbroken … and they have to stop mourning, to get you to control your anger, like you’re more angry than they are! Like you don’t understand that Michael Brown does not want to be remembered for riots. He wants to be remembered as the one that made America deal with how we’re going to police in the United States!”
How does America generally deal with their problems?
Witnesses say Michael surrendered prior to being shot.
Police say Michael assaulted the officer after being stopped.
Some say it was for jaywalking. Others say it was due to a robbery the day earlier. Information filters out in support and condemnation, once again screening us from truth.
He was shot from a squad car. Six times. The witnesses say he ran, was shot, then dropped to the ground with his hands up to surrender. And then the officer shot him repeatedly.
The police say Michael assaulted the officer, ran away, then returned when a shot was fired. Why would someone return to intimidate after hearing a shot?
I’m not here to solve the case.
Reverend Al Sharpton believes something is wrong in America. I fear for what eventuates in the aftermath of this event, as I eat my cereal and watch it unfold from the other side of the world. The consequences have the capability of crossing the seas.
“No community in America would tolerate an 18-year-old boy laying in the street for four-and-a-half hours and we won’t tolerate it either.”
No community in Australia would either. Wise words, as we wait nervously for the response.
Chris Sutton
