The Unheard Speak Many Languages
By Obadiah Williams-McBride
On May 25, 2020 the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin lit the nation ablaze. The rage and frustration of black people and allies across America reached a peak unseen since the police abuse of Rodney King ignited the L.A. Riots. The police were called on him at a convenience store after his alleged use of a counterfeit bill to pay for cigarettes. This call to police for a non-violent offense led to police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, with three officers standing watch to protect Chauvin from bystanders and witnesses. George Floyd is not the first or the last black person to die unjustly at the hands of police brutality but the brutal video that surfaced of his death sparked something in the hearts of many across the nation. A powerful desire for changes mixed with the unbridled energy to enact it manifested itself in multiple forms as some black people and allies took to the streets to protest peacefully under the banner of Black Lives Matter while others took a less organized approach and decided to riot and loot. All forms are valid.
Many people have chosen to condemn rioters and looters including the current president , Donald Trump, who tweeted this in response to riots, “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank You!” Others have chosen to misconstrue the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. to censor black people's expression of grief, anguish and general frustration over the countless instances of police brutality and general injustice that exist not only in the justice system, but in America as a whole against black people. American history has shown that fighting oppression does not have to be peaceful. It is a privilege to condemn the riots and looting without addressing the cause – institutionalized racism. Racism is so embedded into American society that we fail to recognize it in everyday practices. Failing to address the root cause of an illness would be condemnable in the practice of medicine-- so why is it not so when we are trying to cure the sickness that is racism in America?
Martin Luther King, Jr.himself, although commonly associated with peaceful protesting, was quoted saying, “That a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to listen to the plight of the negro poor that has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. Perhaps the worst of all, America has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.” The unheard speak many languages, whether it be peaceful protests, boycotts or riots, all of them are a valid reaction to many lifetimes of mistreatment. Redlining, Police brutality, Healthcare disparities, Stereotypes in media, Criminal conviction disparities, Education disparities and amongst other things are issues black people face in this country to this day.. Peaceful protests can bring awareness and boycotts can disrupt society financially, but riots disrupt society in a way that cannot be ignored by those who choose to shelter themselves from the plight of others. The plight of black people in America cannot go ignored any longer. As long as one can turn off the TV or social media and forget that this is happening, then the problem will persist. Riots are a call to action, making institutionalized racism so damaging to the general public that there is no other choice but to address it.