First of all, my heart goes out to the victims and families of the people attacked in Gilroy, California and El Paso Texas within the last several days. I grieve for the victims and their families and am wishing comfort and strength upon the survivors and their families.
The white crimes that have occurred as of late, are not only in alignment with mass shootings perpetrated every year by white males predominantly; but the history of mob violence, lynchings and other various murders perpetrated by white males in the United States for centuries.
And while we are very quick in our culture to apply broadly, characterizations about non-white groups based on actions of individuals - such as "black on black crime" or "violence in the Mexican community"; it is not only fair but critically important to be balanced with the use of such an approach and ensure it is applied equally and justly to white culture.
Acknowledging and characterizing white crimes and linking directly to Whiteness and white culture is important for the internal self reflection of white people overall (even those who consider themselves good or allies) so they can take a deep look at the psychopathy and sociopathy which lies at the center of Whiteness and white culture. It is the sentiment of Anti-blackness and the disregard and devaluing of black and brown bodies.
At the same time it is equally (if not more) important for non-white people, especially black people, to take a look at the same dynamic so that we can better understand the fundamental unfoldment white hate, white fury, white rage and white contempt for non-white life. It is important for where we've been as a country and where we stand in the present moment as we continue to evaluating the continual reproduction (decade after decade and century after century) organized white crimes perpetuated, enabled and reinforced by a white governmental and legal system.
Post white enslavement of black and brown people, some examples include the Hamburg Massacre of 1876 (led by Senator Benjamin Tillman; 24 years in the Senate); Thibodaux, Louisiana 1887; Wilmington Massacre 1898; Springfield Ohio Massacre 1906; Springfield Illinois Massacre 1908; Omaha Nebraska Massacre 1919; Chicago Illinois Massacre 1919; Tulsa Oklahoma Massacre (Black Wallstreet) 1923......and sooooooo many more....up to Columbine Massacre 1999, Aurora Massacre 2012, Sandy Hook Massacre 2012, Charleston Massacre 2015........to present day.
Such a critical analysis must be maintained through posts such as this and our everyday conversations, especially when the leader in the highest position of this country, a vehement racist, instructs four non-white women to go back to their countries and continually using phrases like "the good ole days".
Our analysis must be one that is top down, which uses a combination of outcomes, results, decisions, policies and practices as the basis for judging whether or not something is racist. Black and brown people have been duped into evaluating where someone or groups of people are racist based on whether or not they are nice and/or tolerant. This school of thought is reductive and has served to continue disenfranchisement, violence and deaths of black and brown people at the hands of systemic and institutional whiteness and white supremacy.
Our African ancestors who suffered at the hands of savages, thugs and beasts are calling for bravery. We must be willing to live and die at the price of challenging and standing upto the ills of Whiteness that continue to plague this culture.