racism – Site Title

FREE OF RACISM DAY!

I was talking to a friend not too long ago about racism, racist attitudes, ugliness, and the scourge that it is on society as a whole and his remark went like this, “I don’t know about that. I’ve never experienced it.” He’s from Minnesota, white and proud of it.

This got me thinking. There are those who go about life thinking that just because they’ve never experienced it, racism doesn’t exist. Here’s the thing. Racism is a worldwide issue. It finds its foothold in societies and goes about its way calling it, business as usual. Then there are those who suffer because of it, their daily existence not just marked by irking a living like the rest of the folks do but with the additional burden of carrying that unnecessary load placed on their shoulders which is called racism, a heavy one that affects whole families including children as well and sometimes it makes “living” a living hell!

Does racism exist today?

“A huge number of people still don’t even believe that contemporary racism exists. Despite the mountains of empirical evidence confirming that racism is a part of almost everything, almost everywhere, almost all the time, people are still stuck in a conversation about whether or not it is even happening.”

I would like to invent a holiday and call it, FREE OF RACISM DAY!

It will be a worldwide call to arms so to speak and for this one day, global citizens will come together and boost each other up irregardless of race, religion, and or color. We will put our differences aside and celebrate as ONE people. There will be exhibitions highlighting achievements and we will celebrate each other’s uniqueness. It will be a call to stand together and to embrace each other as citizens based not on color, race or religion but as people who deserve equal treatment regardless of who or where they come from.

There is an International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is observed annually on March 21st. It was established by the United Nations in 1966 to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa and it is to raise awareness and to fight against racism and discrimination worldwide.

Have you heard about it? I haven’t either. So let’s get the word out and not pretend that it (racism) doesn’t exist. It is there, it is alive, it is doing well and it is spreading like wildfire in today’s society of Nazi salutes, racist satire and full blown hate and ugliness.

I say AMEN to that!

Daily writing prompt

Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.

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George Floyd

The murder of George Floyd by a police officer brought widespread protests not only back home but globally, which in turn called for police reform and accountability where police brutality and racial injustice was concerned. Its historical significance came when Derek Chauvin, the police officer responsible for the murder was convicted and sent to prison. It also put a spotlight on systemic racism and racial inequality. Before that landmark case, it was rare “that police officers in the US are charged, let alone convicted for use of lethal force.”

George Floyd, an African-American, died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020. The video footage that went viral showed Floyd being pinned to the ground by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck. Bodycam footage showed Mr. Floyd saying he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times but to no avail. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes and Floyd was heard further saying:

“You’re going to kill me, man.”

Chauvin: ” Then stop talking, stop yelling. It takes heck of a lot of oxygen to talk.”

Mr. Floyd: “Can’t believe this, man. Mom, love. Love you. Tell my kids I love them. I’m dead.”

Six minutes after that, Floyd is non-responsive and pronounced dead an hour later.

Derek Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. The verdict put the spotlight on police and their policing practices where people of color were concerned and it also showed “that police officers are not above the law.”

According to the NY Times, “despite the largest racial justice protests since the civil rights era of the 1960s and a wave of measures to improve training and hold officers more accountable, the number of people killed by the police continues to rise each year, and Black Americans still die in disproportionate numbers.”

Racism, systemic racism, police brutality and the murder of black men still continues. Hate finds a way to survive and in today’s climate of fascism on the rise, we’ll see more of the same all done in the name of progress or “hate” masquerading as justice.

Derek Chauvin is still in prison serving his concurrent federal and state sentences for the murder of George Floyd. He is projected to be released in 2037 for his federal conviction and 2035 for his state conviction.

George Floyd, however, will never see the light of day again. He is now a card-carrying member of the “killed by the police” club. The others were Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, who was 12 when he was shot by a police officer, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling and the list goes on…..

I’ve written about every one of these men and many more.

Major historical events? I would say those killings were major events, wouldn’t you?

Daily writing prompt

What major historical events do you remember?

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Racist Cruelty (Archives)

Update:

I wrote this piece in 2024 and since then the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made it to the 7th year of marital bliss, against all odds I might add. If the haters could have their way, it would be done and dusted by now. They want to believe that it’s all a sham and they couldn’t possibly be happy. The latest tirade against the couple is nothing short of horrific. This time it is not just coming from across the pond but from this side of the pond and the charge is being led by right-wing pundit Meghan Kelly. Her recent attack on her podcast bordered on the unthinkable. It was like she had venom oozing out of her every pore! She called the Duchess of Sussex a “malignant narcissist,” among other insults and accusations which begs the question, “What is your problem Meghan Kelly?” Envy? Jealousy? An all out mean streak? Most of these attacks have racist undertones as are those aimed at the couple from all directions. It is cruel, it is nasty and racism is well and doing just fine!

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“Racism is abhorrent and ugly, and it plaques our world.

We must reject and condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification, every time and everywhere.” Antonio Guterres

Once there was a boy and a girl who fell in love and got married. The boy happened to be a prince and the girl, well, she was of mixed-race.

The beginning was fairytale-like. Cinderella got her prince so to speak BUT then the evil forces gathered and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to rip asunder what could only be described as a beautiful love story.

Soon the girl was talking about taking her own life so the prince decided to give up his kingdom for the love of the girl. They moved faraway to quiet the storm and to get away from the evil clutches of the ugly people. Race mattered and the boy and girl had broken the sacred code. Mixed race was a no go as far as the kingdom was concerned. Blue blood was the only way to go as far as the racists were concerned.

They gathered forces and screamed out with all their might. Within this circle were the press corp, TV personalities, members of the Royal family and those that hid within their bedrooms equipped with a TV and a microphone. They spewed their message of hate for no other reason than pure hatred. The girl was portrayed as the ‘witch’ who stole the prince. Nothing she did could quiet the rage she had unknowingly unleashed simply because she had dared to cross the line and had fallen in love with the young prince. Love, in this case, didn’t matter.

The boy and girl were faraway across the pond by now but the ugliness followed them. Every move was met with furore of the worst kind. They had two children, a beautiful boy and a girl, but nothing could stop the storm of hate. The beautiful girl was now a symbol of hatred. If they could have, they would have screamed, “Off with her head!” as in the old days and watched with glee as their symbol of hate was put to rest mercilessly.

Racism and hate go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. However, racism is not a thing of the past. It is doing well with the haters stoking its fires to keep it burning brightly. How potent is it? In this case, it is enough to destroy a beautiful love story, enough to bring a beautiful girl to her knees and maybe even enough to destroy a marriage all done in the name of racism, nothing more, nothing less.

This is a sad story. Rumors are that the boy and girl are having a hard time and the racists are beating their drums with glee and thumping their chests at their handiwork. I hope the Duke and Duchess of Sussex survive the ordeal they have been put through and go on to live a long and happy life. Racism is ugly beyond words but the fact that it is thriving so blatantly speaks volumes.

“Sometimes racism takes the form of ugly words and actions. Other times it remains unspoken, communicated by hostile looks and secret snickers. But the most corrosive form, and often the hardest to address, is not being seen at all.” Kwame Onwuachi

Racist Cruelty

Racism is abhorrent and ugly, and it plaques our world.

We must reject and condemn it without reservation, without hesitation, without qualification, every time and everywhere.” Antonio Guterres

Once there was a boy and a girl who fell in love and got married. The boy happened to be a prince and the girl, well, she was mixed-race.

Soon the girl was talking about taking her own life so the prince decided to give up his kingdom for the love of the girl. They moved faraway to quiet the storm and to get away from the evil clutches of the ugly people. Race mattered and the boy and girl had broken the sacred code. Mixed race was a no go as far as the kingdom was concerned. Pure breed was the only way to go as far as the racists were concerned.

This is a sad story. Rumors are that the boy and girl are having a hard time and the racists are beating their drums with glee and thumping their chests at their handiwork. I hope the Duke and Duchess of Sussex survive the ordeal they have been put through and go on to live a long and happy life. Racism is ugly beyond works but the fact that it is thriving so blatantly speaks volumes.

A Fairytale Romance

Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, pops the question and they ride off into the sunset together to live happily ever after.

Not if you’re a prince and the girl happens to be a beautiful, kind, but mixed-race girl. I’m talking about the famous duo who told the palace and everyone else within including the prince’s kingdom where they could go with their protocols, strict rules, no crossing over drawn lines c*ap and the stick up their a**es mentality!

They’ve been paying for it ever since and the price hasn’t been cheap. Leaving the kingdom behind hasn’t helped. Giving up royal duties hasn’t helped. Moving across the pond far away from the angry vitriol hasn’t helped. Over five years and two beautiful children later, the hate and maliciousness still seems to find them. Just goes to show that racism is deep seated, ugly and has far-reaching fingers.

“….racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.” Chris Crutcher

Being ostracized and treated as invisible beings hasn’t helped, staying silent hasn’t helped, living their own lives hasn’t helped and leading a beautiful and quiet life filled with love and laughter has only helped to fuel the fire further. Meghan’s latest venture, American Riviera Orchard, albeit a strange name but it is her venture and she has the right to call it whatever she wants but the online trolls are at it again trashing it even before it has had a chance to take off. They are hoping it will bomb and never see the light of day. One TV host even went so far as to ask numerous times, “What does that even mean?” alluding to the title of her new brand with an incredulous grin plastered on his face. Well, that’s for her to know and for you find out!

“Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” James Baldwin

Honestly, the ugliness that has been trailing them is beyond belief. It seems that a nation steeped in so called historical traditions and virtues is hiding behind those very same ideals combined with white privilege to bring them down.

Hateful, spiteful, UGLY, shameless and the list goes on and on. Those of us who see it for what it is, blatant racism, should speak out and not in a subtle manner either. Racism has been the bane of society. It has destroyed many lives, it has given rise to hideous actions and it thrives in fertile soil if not reeled in. It has the potential to run off gleefully having caused tremendous pain, enjoying the fruits of what it is capable of and that folks is ugliness beyond belief.

The latest rash of online attacks on the Duchess of Sussex is unimaginable and totally uncalled for. The lady has been quiet, dignified, held her head up high and has a smile on her face most days but on those rare occasions when that mask slips, the pain is there for all to see. The best revenge, it has been said is to live your best life in spite of it but this shameless, ruthless and irresponsible behavior whose only job it seems is to bring her down to her knees is alarming. Meghan is an accomplished individual. At the age of 11, she wrote to Proctor and Gamble asking them to change their soap commercial from “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans” to “People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” She was a United Nation’s women’s advocate and gave a speech at the UN Women’s 2015 conference. In 2016 she traveled to Rwanda to help spread the word for Canada’s World Vision Clean Water campaign. She was their ambassador. She definitely does not deserve what she has been put through.

Racism and racist attitudes have never been known to be responsible. Tear it down in any manner possible is its goal and the people who partake in it are either sitting in some basement somewhere or come from the hallowed halls of the news media. YOU should be ashamed of your lowly and cowardly ways!

There was once a boy and a girl who fell in love. The girl found her prince and it was a Cinderella moment or a fairytale in the making. However, it came to a screeching halt when racism in all its different facets reared its ugly head and set out to destroy what should have been celebrated as a great love story.

“That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” Angie Thomas