White people. I love you! You are stretching in this moment to try to figure out what you can do and how to do more. I have an idea:
In addition to talking with other white folks about how heartbroken you are about the latest round of murders of Black people by the police. In addition to getting your family to share how they feel and declare their solidarity and linked fate by putting up a #BlackLivesMatter sign in their window at home or at work. In addition to supporting Black-led direct action and policy campaigns. In addition to making large donations to organizations who are a part of the Movement for Black Lives and to the families of those who have lost loved ones. In addition to doing the basic, hard and essential work of reconnecting white people to their lost humanity and our shared humanity, what if the next step might be to say:
“White friends and family, I think we are better off without the police. I think we might be safer, happier, healthier if there were no police. In addition to fewer Black people being killed by those police our life would be much better. I am starting to think we are better off without them. That we don’t need them. That if we shut them all down today and transferred all the resources they control to communities to set up systems of community safety and accountability, we would all be much happier.”
What we need is structured and dramatic transition from an old system that does not work to a new system that does. My gut is that when white people are able to say “Having no police is better than what we have now.”, that will reflect the willingness and courage needed to make a fundamental transition from an old system to a new one.
An utter, fundamental and unequivocal rejection of the system we have is necessary to create the political will for a JUST TRANSITION to what we need.
I invite you to explore this possibility to start discussing it with other white people. I have a feeling that until white people, a lot of white people, are clear that we don’t need the police, that the system we have is not reformable and we are better of with no police than the ones we have now, then the murder of Black life by the police will not end and will likely escalate as the movement to hold those systems accountable produces more fear and backlash from the people in those systems that are feeling their unquestioned power and authority to dominate and control challenged.
The police exist to protect white people and respond to white fear. That is their core function. That is what white supremacy means in practical terms. So until white people say “We don’t need you, we don’t want you killing for us anymore, we are going to stop paying you to kill for us, you’re fired.”, the killing will likely continue and escalate.
Anyone up for the challenge? Let me know. Try it out and see what kinds of conversations it generates. I have other posts on my page with more context for this if you are feeling courageous and bold.
#CommunitySafteyThroughCareAndCommunityLeadership
#WhitePeopleForPoliceReconstitution
#WeAreOnlyAfraidofYourArmoredFear
#AbolitionThroughJustTransition
This was a reflection shared on my Facebook page on July 7th in the immediate aftermath of the murders of Alton Sterling & Philando Castile. I was contemplating what would be necessary to end this cycle of killing, now that it has become clear that all of the movement and reform efforts to date have shifted culture, policy, and practice in profound ways but have been insufficient to end the police killing. Many white folks have stepped forward to declare their commitment to take action to get law enforcement to #StopKillingForUs and to begin conversations with white friends and family about what this might take.
I would also recommend folks reading a powerful Medium piece sparked in part by this invitation Defensive like me by Jenifer Thom as well as a moving reflection from a leader at the forefront of the revolution in values who is asserting that love must be at the center of all we do, Michelle Alexander called Something more is required of us now. What?
If you are hungering to dream with others who are working to imagine and embody a world where love is at the center of everything we do and who we are, you can find more powerful stories at:
http://letstalkmovementbuilding.org
The blog of the transformational practice community I am part of called the Movement Strategy Center.