The Politics of Black Death
Four years ago, Laquan McDonald was murdered by Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. After a brief altercation, Laquan was shot 16 times in the back as he was running away from the police. In the last few years, we have witnessed the onscreen murder of not just Laquan, but also Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and, most recently, Amir Locke. In this month of Black History, as we reflect on the accomplishments and achievements of Black people, we must remember the lives lost to systemic white violence. We must go farther than remembering, we must dedicate ourselves and our resources to building a world committed to Black living and Black thriving as opposed to Black death.
The normalization of Black death has often been a focus of American society. During the time of slavery and Jim Crow, lynching became a common practice and many of these horrifying events turned into community spectacles. Pictures and postcards of Black bodies hanging from trees were passed around and shared throughout the nation. The history of Black death has been one of spectacle and entertainment and very rarely of remembrance and honor. Sometimes, witnessing violence can immobilize us. This is normal. While there isn’t much we can do about the things that people share on social media, there are ways in which we can come together, take action and thereby usher in a world in which it is Black lives, not Black death, that is normalized and sensationalized.
This is the work to which we call you this Black History Month. It is the sacred work of creating rituals that honor Black lives! It is the beautiful work of creating a city and a world in which Black lives are given opportunity and thrive. It is the rewarding task of working to pass legislative policies and put in place practices that hold the government accountable for how it acts towards Black lives.
This month we invite you to engage in our work in these five ways:
Follow, like and share CRS’ posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Join CRS’ Police Accountability Issue Team by emailing us.
Take action with CRS.
Reach out to your elected officials and ask what they are doing to make Black lives matter.
Make a donation to Community Renewal Society.
Larry Dean
Policy and Organizing Associate