Racism and Coronavirus COVID-19 Conversations…
Novel Thomas
Will there be a cure for the man-made viral pandemic, racism, in all its forms once all the talk-ing has ended?
When George Floyd had his life squeezed out by police officer Derek Chauvin in that brazen spectacle on May 25, I knew there would be a tumultuous after-math: racism and Coronavirus talk ad nauseam…
Over the years of civil rights activism and uprisings it’s how these inci-dents/events have played out.
I remember in the 60s and into the 1970s it’s how these social uprisings trig-gered by the same old (let’s say traditional and generational issues) have played out. It was “Burn Baby burn” then. All fuelled by a certain generation using whatever legal means/tools available at their disposal to bring about social change.
But at the core of the issues were race and racism and its generational impact on the lives of Black people.
Sure, Black people were being killed in the shadow of darkness then, and without evidence to track down, identify and bring perpetrators to justice, as far as Black people were concerned justice was at a premium. So white people, includ-ing and especially police, could wantonly kill (try and exterminate) Black people under the cover of darkness. Empowered by the mentally and thinking back then that Black lives were expendable, and that the judiciary got their backs.
Essentially “Black lives” back then “didn’t matter…”
But time and technology converged and spawned video cameras. A powerful tool, which played a major roll in capturing the images of incidents that were regularly happening to Black people, especially males, on the streets of America, or in remote places, under the cover of darkness.
Based on information I received from a Black gentleman during a visit to Los Angeles in the 1980s, police corruption and harassment/brutality of Black peo-ple and charges of racism against the police were rife.
The pummelling, almost to death, of one Rodney King by Los Angeles police in 1991 was part and parcel of that culture of police/judicial corruption.
The “not guilty” verdict of the police , which subsequently resulted in the trial of several m(embers of a “corrupt Los Angeles police department” at the time.
The trial of several policemen on corruption charges along with a “not guilty” verdict in the beating of Rodney King 1991, who was a victim of police brutality by Los Angeles Police Department after a high-speed chase and arrest for drunk driving was the tipping point. The April 1991 riots was a catalyst for change.
Much the same way the May 25 murder of George Floyd and subsequent social uprising… have become in 2020.
As an aside, it would be fair to say that Donald Trump will be front and center at the funeral of one of his few Black friends, Herman Cain.
News of the business executive’s death in Atlanta, GA (on July 30) broke as people were watching the televised celebration of the life of one John Lewis.
His legendary and iconic life of civil rights activism, as well as a Congressman are a few computer keys and taps away. What more can be said about a great human being civil rights activist and human being.
Recall Cain’s 2012 presidential campaign bid and his 999 mantra under the Republican colours, and low-lighlighted by charges of sexual harassment? Most Black people then viewed his presidential bid as a long shot at best.
As everyone expected, Cain’s presidential run was eclipsed by a white candidate, not Donald Trump.
He was recently seen (with his friend Donald?) at a public appearance.
Apparently, he was being “used” by Donald, under the slogan: “Black Voices for Trump.”
Cain was recently seen with (his friend?) Donald Trump at one of his rallies.
But something about fate intervened, COVID-19, curtailing Herman and Donald’s plans. Guess the almighty had better and more productive spiritually correct work for Herman Cain to do in the “Great Beyond.” Hence his/her intervention in this socially and politically tumultuous period called “2020.”
Many people are probably wondering right now how someone who continues to spar with COVID-19 continues to be spared.
Meanwhile, in the real COVID-19-contaminated world in which we’re existing/living — those of us who have so far managed to avoid, or evade it — I’m using the pandemic time to do multiple, albeit in most cases, mundane things.
Personally, in addition to doing… respecting life-saving health department-prescribed protocols, I’ve been using the time spinning and threading words with ample time af-forded to catch-up on/years-old writing projects…
Also, television viewing has benefits, redeeming qualities, depending on what “is into.” So I’ve been catching up on the occasional movie and documentaries… which I’ve been putting off.
I revisited Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, from beginning to end, paying attention to the haunting spirit/presence of one racist Donald Trump urging for a return of the “death penalty” especially to liquidate the young Black and Hispanic males, known as the Central Park Five, who were falsely accused, tried and sentenced to long prison terms for allegedly raping and mauling a young white woman in Central Park in the spring of 1989.
I now have just reason to disdain that despicable political human being who, like a maggot, managed to worm his way into the psyche of many white people, including, and sadly, a tiny constituency of Black political lemmings who see some “je ne sais quois” in their Jim Jones-‘wanna be’ political leader.
May they see the light and be cured of that inexplicable noxious political food they im-bibed with the arrival of the transparent and socially destructive neophyte on the global political scene.
The more I see of him the more I take comfort in thinking: “May his political life and lifespan be short.”
I also spent several hours watching a NETFLIX series called the Godfather Of Harlem.” An excellent production is all I can say.
There’s also another NETFLIX documentary called the “Black Godfather.”
It centres on a Black man, Clarence Avant who, with much guts, balls and skill who over decades managed to create multiple stars, many of whom made it big, in the en-tertainment industry, as well as so the political industry.
Born and bred in the southern U.S. and armed with a 9th grade education, that man parlayed his natural savoir faire into becoming one of the most powerful people in the U.S. entertainment industry.
Is he a wealthy man? you ask. Who knows? Watch the documentary ‘Black Godfather’ and determine for yourself.
After viewing it, twice, I’m left with two descriptives: enlightening and inspiring… Check it out; whatever your ambitions and aspirations you might want to emulate Clarence.
As I watched Black Godfather (twice) I was reminded of a man, a real and interesting character I used to have many long and interesting conversations with on various sub-jects.
I never asked that man who died a couple years ago if he ever had a mentor. But as I watched Clarence Avant that’s the only man that immediately came to mind; he had Avant qualities and mannerisms…
All I could think after viewing it was I’m sorry I never heard of Clarence Avant before that man, a de facto Montreal institution, passed.
And as the racism talk and activism continues let’s see if there are viable and tangible outcomes.
