Requiem for Black people

By James Clingman
George Curry Media

Lorenzo Collins, Michael Carpenter, Roger Owensby Jr., Timothy Thomas, Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, Kenneth Walker, Sean Bell, Timothy Russell, Kimani Gray, Ezzell Ford, John Crawford, Tamir Rice, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Kajieme Powell, Malissa Williams, Vonderitt Myers, Dante Parker, Michael Brown, Tyisha Miller, Trayvon Martin, Dontre Hamilton, Tony Robinon, Jason Harrison, Martin Hall, Bettie Jones, Tanisha Anderson, Yvette Smith, Sandra Bland, Matthewe Ajibade, Eric Harris, Keith Childress, Kevin Matthews, Leroy Browning, Gus Rugley, Ray Smoot, Roy Nelson, Miguel Espinal, Jonny Gammage, Nathaniel Pickett, Cornelius Brown, Tiara Thomas, Chandra Weaver, Jamar Clark, Richard Perkins, Akai Gurley, Stephen Tooson, Michael Lee Marshall, Alonzo Smith, Anthony Ashford, Lamontez Jones, India Kager, Samuel DuBose, Felix Kumi, Walter Scott, Billie Ray Davis, Darrius Stewart, Albert Davis, Jonathan Sanders, Spencer McCain, Freddie Gray, Eric Harris, Charly “Africa” Keunang, Emerson Clayton, Jr., Tommy Yancy, Jerame C. Reid, Corey Tanner, Zikarious Flint, David Andre Scott, Emmanuel Jean-Baptiste, Victor White III, Matthew Walker, Darrien Nathaniel Hunt, Jeremy Lake, Laquan McDonald, Denzel Ford, Pierre Loury, Cedrick Chatman, Alton Sterling, Philando Castille… I could go on, but I am sure you get the point.

 
“I feared for my life” “He reached for his waistband.” “I saw something shiny.” “He ran.” “He made eye contact with me.” “He fit the description.” “He resisted.” “He threatened me.” “He didn’t comply.” “He would not put the brick down.” “He would not put the knife down.” “He weighed 400 pounds.” “My hand got caught in the steering wheel.” “He dragged me with the car.” “He lunged at me.” “My gun accidentally went off.” “I thought I was firing my Taser.” “He was acting strangely.” “He was holding a screwdriver when he came to the door.” “He had a broom when he came to the door.” “He was armed with a soup spoon.” “He had a prescription pill bottle in his pocket but I thought it was a gun.” “He had a BB gun.” “He had a toy pellet gun.” “He was obese.” “He kept saying ‘I can’t breathe’ so we knew he was still breathing.” “The stairwell was dark.” “He behaved like a thug.” “He was wearing a hoodie.” “After he survived a car accident, he approached us with empty hands.” “He was running toward us but we shot him in the back.” “He did not comply within two seconds.” “He shot himself while being handcuffed behind his back, with a gun that we did not find when we searched him.”

 
“Our hearts go out to the families.” “Our prayers and thoughts are with the family.” “This can never happen again.” “He could have been my son.” “R.I.P.” “Our condolences go out.” “She could have been our daughter.” “It’s a tragic and sad day for our nation.” “We shall overcome.” “This has to stop.” “We cannot rush to judgment.” “We must wait until the investigation is over.” “Let the process work.” “The video does not tell the whole story of what happened.” “We are all saddened by this tragic event.” “Our hearts grieve with this family.” “They don’t get up in the morning saying, ‘I am going to kill a Black man today.'” “They want to go home at night.” “All police officers are not bad.” “The vast majority of officers are good.” “Let’s not indict all officers because of the actions of one or two.” “Black lives matter.” “Blue lives matter.” “All lives matter.” “This is not a Black problem; it’s an American problem.” “No justice no peace.” “Nonviolence is the answer.” “We need a national conversation on police violence.” “I found no evidence to indict the officer(s).” “It’s Ok Mommy; It’s Ok, I’m right here with you.”

 
These acts are heinous, horrific, terrible, irresponsible, immoral, reprehensible, indefensible, unconscionable, unacceptable, horrifying, shocking, frightening, inhumane, uncivilized, animalistic, disgraceful, shameful, inexcusable, insulting, depraved, shameless, cowardly, outrageous, scandalous, dishonorable, discreditable, appalling, dreadful, irrefutable, atrocious, unspeakable, ludicrous, indecent, disreputable, brutal, wicked, offensive, brazen, unabashed, gutless, spineless, odious, awful, revolting, blatant, and sinful.

 
Black people are disgusted, dismayed, outraged, fuming, livid, irate, sickened, revolted, repulsed, repelled, offended, affronted, hurt, scared, tenuous, intimidated, fearful, incensed, enraged, nauseated, injured, disrespected, tired, sick and tired, and angry.

 
After everything is said and done, much is said and little is done. Our words are like a needle on a scratched record – we are stuck, and we keep repeating the same thing over and over again. If you are conscious and conscientious, join the One Million in Atlanta, GA, on August 19-21, and this time let’s take appropriate action to deal with these horrendous times in which we live. www.iamoneofthemillion.com

 
(At press time, five police officers in Dallas were killed and seven were injured by a Black man who was tired of and angry over Black people being killed by police. Pray for their families, too.)

 
Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com. He is the author of Black Dollars Matter: Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense, which is available through his website; professionalpublishinghouse.com and Amazon Kindle eBooks.