Two Murders, Two Towns
Two young Black men from my home towns were murdered in the week following the Fourth of July. I say home towns, because the first happened in Picayune, Mississippi, where I grew up, and the second in Alameda, California, where I’ve lived for over three decades.
In Picayune, the case of Willie Jones began on July 6, when his family reported him missing. He was seen in the company of a white couple, 24-year-old Dustin Gray and his wife 21-year-old Erica Gray. The Gray and Jones families were apparently friends. In fact, when the law offices of Dustin’s father were burned down, the lawyer was the first to say he was sure the Jones family had nothing to do with it.
Before Willie’s body was found in the outskirts of town, his family held a vigil, asking the public to help find him. The lead up to the vigil was chaotic, as social media and the police suggested there would be Black Lives Matter participants from “out of town.” During the night before the vigil, according to some who live there, there were militia types roaming the streets. On the day of the vigil, a group of armed white men, in pickup trucks, stationed themselves nearby. As the vigil was peaceful and there were no “outsiders”, it all ended with no violence. Nevertheless, in the aftermath, there are Facebook posts from white people in Picayune condemning the town’s overreaction and supporting Black families. There are others who argue that the speaker at the vigil was slamming the town for racism, therefore proving they had a reason to be scared.
In reality, the murder may not have been about racism, though many will assume it is. The story is still unfolding.
In Alameda, on July 7, a young Black man, Donald Stanifer, was reported missing. He was a graduate of our local high school, attending a local junior college. A few days later, Donald’s car was found by a deputy from the Sheriff’s office. The vehicle contained evidence that a violent crime had occurred. His body was found in a park in Oakland on July 17.
When I first heard about this, my thoughts went to a Nextdoor post from a family in Alameda. In it, a father posted a picture of his black son, essentially asking the community not to report his son to police when they see him walking through the neighborhood. He received support from all over Alameda, a thoroughly liberal town. Nevertheless, it is well known that many people in this town report “suspicious” Black men, simply for walking down the street. Though we have a thriving Black community in Alameda, they usually assume the “visitor” is from Oakland.
Years ago, I had an older Black man come to my house in Alameda to help me with some work. Within five minutes of his arrival, a police officer pulled up to ask him what he was doing there. This man was so accustomed to this that he had all his paperwork ready to go.
I don’t know if Willie or Donald were killed because they were Black, but they nonetheless have two heartbroken families. I also know that some people in both towns made their Black lives more challenging when they were alive. Whether it’s the Alameda residents who resent “those people from Oakland” or the people from Picayune, who bring their guns to a peaceful vigil, racism exists everywhere.
On the other hand, I know people in both towns who are outraged by racist behavior. They protest, but not very loudly. It is time we all make much more noise.
