Ferguson, Missouri, went up in flames last night. Moments after Attorney Robert McCulloch revealed that there was no probable cause to charge or indict officer Darren Wilson for the murder of Brown, protesters hit the streets of Ferguson.
Some protesters were peaceful, but there were others who burned cars, buildings, and looted stores. The nonviolent protesters were condemned by several CNN reporters who often referred to the activists as “knuckleheads.” After the decision was announced, President Barack Obama called for “calm and peace.”
But while violence in the streets will not lead to Wilson’s arrest, in this situation, it’s easy to understand why some resorted to such measures.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once stated “Violence begets violence.” Malcolm X also said, “It is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.”
Unarmed Black men have been dying by the hands of those who are responsible for protecting the citizens. Along with Brown’s brutal murder, Eric Garner of New York was choked and killed for selling cigarettes. In Ohio, John Crawford was executed by police while holding a toy gun in Walmart. In Utah, Dillon Taylor was murdered by police walking near a convenience store. And a few days ago, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by police in Cleveland while holding a toy gun.
The violence that continues to be perpetrated on unarmed Black males is a grotesque form of injustice. So if a few buildings and cars are burned down in Ferguson, the nation should be satisfied that the outrage and damage isn’t more severe. Blacks in America have another reason to be upset by the laws that have failed to protect its citizens. The violence that we are seeing in Ferguson is just a small repercussion of the violence police use on the unarmed and innocent.
However, the violence and anger must be redirected at some point, but it must start on a federal level. Every police department in America should force its officers to undergo diversity training. Many of the white officers who have shot and killed unarmed Black males have poor communication with the people who they are to protect and serve.
As a community, Blacks and those who want to pay tribute to unarmed Black males who have been murdered should do so by setting up scholarship funds, teaching skills to the underprivileged, and making sure that police and law enforcement are held accountable for every action.
Until then, we can ask for peace from the citizens of Ferguson. But we must also force the police to keep the peace without continuing to use unnecessary violence on Black people.
