Black Lives Matter! It is hard to imagine that in 2020, we still have to state the obvious, but it is clear that many do not believe that black people also have the right to liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness. The casual murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, by police officers was horrific. It took place in broad daylight in the midst of several onlookers and the officers’ lack of concern for Floyd, who was on his stomach, with hands behind his back, was a chilling testimony of the lack of regard for the life of a black man. Their actions of placing a knee on his neck and back and ignoring his pleas for his life, suggested that for them this was an ordinary day and an ordinary way in which to detain a person. But even more importantly the “ordinariness” of their actions tells us that they believed that they could do whatever they wanted, get away with it and not have to face any consequences. Who knows how many other persons may have suffered at the hands of these officers when the cameras were not rolling and were unable to obtain justice.
The murder of George Floyd by police officers seems to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Floyd joins a long and growing list of black people in the United States who have been murdered by police officers, most of whom have gotten away scot free. However, it is perhaps the filming of the entire murder which was seen by people all over the world, that sparked the outpouring of outrage in this particular case and resulted in major protests against police brutality by people of all races in cities across the United States. In 2020, black people in the United States and other parts of the world are still fighting for equality. They must still march for justice. They march for equal access to quality education and health care. They march for economic opportunity. They march for being treated as equal before the law. They march for their lives. For black people in America an encounter with the police is like a death sentence. Yet, white Americans call the police on black people for everything – walking, running, sleeping, barbequing, selling lemonade, playing in the park, swimming in the community pool, bird watching in the park and the list goes on.
Instead of getting better, the race divide seems to be steadily growing. I do not believe it is a coincidence that since the election of President Trump, it seems like it is hunting season and black people are the prey. For some reason, people feel comfortable with being openly racist. It shows that while we may not think of it in the context of the impact on our everyday lives, leadership matters.
At every stage of history, change has being realised through the actions of leaders. Leaders in socio-political activism like the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Malcolm X, former President Nelson Mandelaetcwho have advocated and fought for the equal treatment of black people. Political leaders like William Wilberforce and President Abraham Lincoln who would have been integral in the abolition of slavery in the United Kingdom and colonies and the United States, respectively. President Lyndon Johnson who signed the Civil Rights Act to end segregation in the United States during the 1960s. James Ronald Webster, AtlinHarrigan, Peter Adams and the other great revolutionaries who refused to accede to statehood and fought for a better life for the people of Anguilla.
For change to occur, a leader has to stand up and be counted. A leader has to stand up for what is right and true and just, even if it is unpopular. A leader has to be a representation of the change the society needs even when the society is not ready to embrace that change. I am sure that the US Presidents who would have responded to the call of the civil rights movement to end segregation faced significant fall out with large portions of their population. But as leaders they hada duty to establish the core values and principles that their country must be built on and that they will uphold in governing the country.
Unfortunately in the United States, leadership is currently absent and as such the country has descended into chaos. There is no sense of common values or purpose. There are no core principles that guide the governance of the country. At this moment of crisis when people are looking for leadership, a calming voice, there is silence on the issue at hand – the murder of innocent black people at the hands of police.
As people around the world join in solidarity with the black people in the United States in continuing to fight for justice and equality, we in Anguilla must do the same. While thankfully, we do not suffer the same atrocities as our brothers and sisters in the United States and other parts of the world, we are painfully aware that we are not immune and we must remain vigilant. Indeed, an American tourist is still evading justice in the killing of Kenny Mitchell last year at a hotel here in Anguilla. Undoubtedly there must be a sense of superiority and the lack of regard for the life of a black person that would cause a person to believe it is okay to walk away from a murder and not face trial. We must therefore continue to advocate for justice to be served. Regardless of how persons feel about how the matter was handled by local authorities, we do not have sufficient basis to claim that there is systemic racism in our criminal justice system. This is a far cry from the situation in the United States and other parts of the world.
I encourage us to reflect on our history as black people in the Caribbean – our struggles, triumphs, challenges and our present realities. There should resonate within each of us a desire to do better and be better. To build the societies we believe we deserve, we must choose leaders who show up in tough times, who emulate the principles we believe in, who will remind us of our core values as a people and who will stand up for what is right and just even if it is unpopular.
