Due Process
Just last summer, the world watched a white terrorist in a police uniform torture and murder a Black man who pleaded for his life and called out for his mom.
Tell me why a trial is necessary? Why does Chauvin’s plea matter? After what we saw, what kind of justice system needs to deliberate on his innocence or guilt? After what we saw, an acquittal shouldn't be possible. That much should be settled in advance. The same goes for the white terrorist in Atlanta who confessed to his killing spree.
I suggest we rethink “due process” because it’s a cleansing ritual for whites and white power. And the trials are terrorizing. The gavels in many courtrooms may be brown, but due process is a whitening process. Whiteness is indefatigable because nothing is indefensible.
Read more in my latest piece for paying subscribers, “Trials for terrorists are terrorizing. Should we reexamine due process?”
Commentary on “Reparations the Big Payback”
If you didn’t know it, there’s a podcast about reparations hosted by Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow. Each week, I listen to an episode and share my thoughts and additional information. See what I have to say about episode 1, episode 2, and episode 3.
Commentary on “Amend: The Fight for America,” Episode 3, "Wait"
I’m also watching and talking about “Amend: The Fight for America” on Netflix. The documentary is about the 14th amendment and the struggle for rights and recognition in America. There are six episodes, and I’ve watched three. See what I have to say about episode 1, episode 2, and episode 3.
Best Thing I Read Last Week
I knew when whites started quoting the book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” to me in the comments section on Medium that something was wrong with the book’s interpretation. That may not be Isabel Wilkerson’s fault.
Whites on Medium would write, “Sam, it’s caste, not race.” And they’d tell me, “Sam, caste is bones; race is skin.”
I would roll my eyes and reiterate, “You must go through the skin to get to the bones.” You must deal with the skin issue.
That’s why the best thing I read last week was “Who Is Afraid of Race?” in the Boston Review by Panashe Chigumadzi. 👏🏾The piece is deep. It’s deep in Afropessimism, and it centers anti-Blackness as the source of our discontents. I recommend it! 👍🏾
Quick Takes
The US - China Meeting: During a recent meeting between the US and China, China said the US was in no place to criticize China, and Black Americans are being slaughtered in the United States. China wasn’t having that white American exceptionalism.
On the Southern Border: Open the southern border, take care of the families, and let them vote. I think there’s some antiracist potential in opening the southern border. The policies of the US government are partly responsible for the migrations.
Views to Disabuse
A few weeks ago, I listened to Joy Reid and Mehdi Hasan have a laugh at the GOP’s claim to be a worker’s party. I didn’t find it funny. I found it white. And I explain it for paying subscribers as my latest Views to Disabuse.
🧶Discussion Thread: Do Racism and Whiteness Exist Without Misogyny?
Paying subscribers, tell me what you think. You know how Malcolm X said, “You can’t have capitalism without racism”?
Well, I recently read, “the term “racial capitalism” itself has always been tautological: When has capitalism not been racial or racializing? What is capitalism if not a system sorting who is most fit for suffering, exploitation, and extraction?”
Can we say the same for racism and whiteness? Do they exist without misogyny? Have racism and whiteness always been misogynistic?
Paying subscribers, let me know what you think here.
📰 News and Headlines
DC Statehood Hearing in Congress:
The House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on DC statehood on Monday, March 22. DC statehood is an important issue for antiracists.
“D.C. would be the only majority-minority state, as Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) mentioned. ‘D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue,’ she said, noting that the measure could help diversify the halls of Congress.”
Anti-Asian Racism, Hollywood, Language, and Law:
During a hearing on discrimination and violence against Asian-Americans, the GOP proved again that they don't deserve to be in the building.
“Finna” and “Chile” are in the dictionary.
And Letitia James sued someone white for making a false report based on race.
Education, Medicine, and Reparations:
New Mexico has a bill mandating antiracism education.
Stephanie Preston has a good Twitter thread on racism and surgery.
And people are talking about reparations in Amherst and Oregon.
Where to Find Me and Why
Medium for occasional, short blog posts
Substack for longer substance by email, free and paid, browse and click through
Patreon for behind-the-scenes content and resources
Twitter for occasional outbursts and inflammatory retweets
Email from your inbox, hit reply to message me