3 minute read
NO MORE CRUMBS
-Zora Neale Hurston
By Gwendolyn D. Clemons, Editor-in-Chief, MBA, MSM
As a triple minority, I feel uniquely qualified to speak on the subject matter of “All Black Lives Matter”. I am Black, a Woman, and Queer. These three inseparable identities make up the complex life that I navigate daily. As a woman who has experienced racial discrimination and homophobia, it is my duty to tell the story of the oppressed, marginalized, and ostracized; hence, “The Unleashed Voice”!
Unlike President #45 would have you to believe, the chapters of “Black Lives Matter” do not make up a terrorist organization. It is my pleasure to educate you about the true meaning of the words “All Black Lives Matter”. This name was derived from three queer women and a trans woman who created a movement after the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unharmed teenager killed in FL. The name asserts that the killing of unarmed black men by police genocide is unacceptable and that the black community is calling out the injustices. Through this movement, many injustices have been identified and shared with mainstream people who otherwise would not have collective access to this information.
What I find problematic about #45’s countless insensitive statements on this subject is that when black people refuse to align with policies and practices, they are deemed heretics or troublemakers. My ancestors built this country for FREE, and we refuse to keep being quiet about our pain: “No More Crumbs!”
Saying “All Black Lives Matter” is not to negate any other race. Saying “All Black Lives Matter” is to raise awareness of the social constructs, systemic oppressions, and hundreds of years of white supremacy that have caused permanent damage to our race. It is time for the world to hear black folks’ voices as we speak about our pain. No longer can our silence be measured as a gauge of complacency or enjoyment for the systems we must navigate daily. It is time for all of us to remove and replace the pillars of white supremacy that have created a racial deficit so large that black Americans are four generations behind white Americans in the wealth gap.
In March 2020, the world came to a pause under the declaration of a global pandemic for COVID-19. I believe during this global shutdown a reformation of awakening took place. The reigniting of a 1960s-ish Civil Rights Movement was birthed after the death of George Floyd. Marches were held in every corner of the world to protest the senseless killing of black unarmed men and women.
In the words of Dr. Daniel Black, “The killing of black folks started the day the ship landed on Plymouth Rock.” One could draw an undeniable conclusion that the killing of black people is akin to an American hobby. This is nothing new. But what is new in 2020 is a unified front from people of all walks of life who say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” The “All Black Lives Matter” movement is about ordinary people finally seeing past the obvious and refusing to accept the leftover crumbs from the king’s plate: “NO MORE CRUMBS!”
This issue is intentionally dedicated to raising awareness about the pillars of White Supremacy: We see you. Please know the veil has been removed from our eyes. We see the barriers and structures put in place to keep the black race inferior in this world. Before you draw any conclusion that this publication is radical or a terrorist threat, I challenge you to examine the racial makeup of the prison population of the United States. Examine the racial makeup of the lives lost due to COVID-19. Examine the poorest zip codes in your respective cities. Examine the number and manner of unarmed black men and women who have been murdered in your community. Examine the lack of access to financial wealth by people of color. Examine the school districts in your cities. Examine the gentrification in your city. Examine the structure of ownership in major sports versus the makeup of players. This movement is about people of color getting clear about who they are and declaring that fighting for your life is always worth it!
Gwendolyn D. Clemons, MBA. MSM
Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief of TUV Media Firm
