AndreFelder

ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15

AmeriKKKaABetterPlace
AmeriKKKaasrapperIceCubespellsitinhisdebutalbumin1990,isknownastheLand
ofTheFree.Thiswasnotalwaystrue,infactforover200yearsmypeoplewereenslaved.
Afterslaverywasabolishedtherewerelawssetuptoseparateblacksfromtherestofthe
community.Thisunfairtreatmentisstillaroundtodaywiththenumerousamountofkillingsby
lawenforcementandunarmedblackvictims.Antiblackracismisthemostapparenttypeof
racismandtheeffectsofthissystemhendersAmericaasawhole,wemustdismantlethis
discriminatorysystem.

Sincethebeginning,whenwewerebroughttothenewworld,blackswerenotequaltowhites.
Wewereslaves,forcedtoworkwithoutpay,dayafterday.Ourpeoplewerebeatenforspeaking
theirmind,andwereoftenmurderediftheycouldreadorwrite.EmmettTillwasateenagerwho
allegedlywhistleatawhitewomanin1955.Hewasthenabductedtakentoabarn,beaten,had
hiseyegougedout,shotintheheadandsunkentothebottomofalake.Thisbeganthe
systematicoppressionofmyculture.TheCaseofReparationswrittenby
TaNehisiCoates
is
severalcaseswhereblacksproperty,money,anddignityweretakenawayatthehandsofwhites.
Reparationswhichmeanstopayback,iswhatmanypeopleareaskingfor.Theywanttogetpaid
forthethingstakenfromthemduetotheracistsystem.ClydeRosswasborninMississippi
wherehisparentsowned40Acresofflourishingland,withlivestockandcrops.Mississippi
authoritysaidthatthefamilyowed3,000dollarsintaxes,andsincenooneinthefamilycould
readorwritetheycouldn'tchallengethetaxesincourtandwasforcedtogiveupalllivestock,

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ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15
horsesfortransportationandtheirlandwhichtheyhadtosharecrop(Coates).Rosswasselected
togotoaschooltoreceiveabettereducationbutcouldn'tattendbecausetherewerenopublic
transportationforblacksstudentsandthefamilycarwasseizedbythestate.ThisheldRossback
fromfurtheringandbetteringhiseducation.Thisisjustoneofthemanyunjustcasesinwhich
reparationsshouldbepaid.Coatessaid
Untilwereckonwithourcompoundingmoraldebts,
Americawillneverbewhole(Coates)whichtomemeansuntilwedorightbyhumansandgive
whatwasworkedhardfororearned,wewillnotbeabletocometogether.Websterdefinitionof
awhitesupremacistisapersonwhobelievesthatthewhiteraceisbetterthanallotherracesand
shouldhavecontroloverallotherracessowhitesupremacymustbethebeliefinwhichthe
whiteraceisthemostsuperiorraceandwilloppressuntilotherracesknowthat.Whiteprivilege
isbenifitswhiteshaveinAmerica.Someexamplesofthiswouldbebeingpickedforajob
positionoveranyotherrace,lessjailtimeforcrimes,morerespectbylawenforcement,etc.In
anarticlebyPeggyMcIntoshawhitewoman,shelistmanyexamplesofwhiteprivilege.One
thatstoodouttomeisIfatrafficcoppullsmeoveroriftheIRSauditsmytaxreturn,Icanbe
sureIhaven'tbeensingledoutbecauseofmyrace(McIntosh).Thisspecificprivilegestoodout
tomebecausemanytimespeopleofmycolorarestoppedbyofficersbecauseoftheircolor.
Withwhitepeopleiftheyarestoppedbypolicetheyknowtheyhavedonesomethingwrong
resultinginthestop.Theeffectstheseprivilegesaffectmorethanjusttheblackcommunity.

Theeffectsofantiblackracismonthecommunityresultsinturmoilwhichleadstotragic
events.IwasfirstexposedtopolicebrutalitywhenIreadabouttheRodneyKingriotsthat
happenedinthespringof1992inLosAngeles.Theriotsweretheresultsoflawenforcement

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AndreFelder
ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15
beingacquittedoftheirchargesforbeatingupblackman.Andwhatmadeitworseisthatitwas
recordedandstillnoonefacedanylegalconsequences.Thiscaseshowsfirsthandhow
antiblackracismcanaffectthecommunity.TheMikeBrowncaseandtheRodneyKingcaseare
verysimilarduetotheeffectithadonthecommunity.InAugustof2014MikeBrown,ateen
whoallegedlyrobbedaconveniencestoreunarmedandafteranaltercationwithapoliceBrown
begantorunaway.ShotswerefiredandBrowndroppedtothegroundwithhishandsup,the
officerDarrenWilsoncontinuedtoshootatthesurrenderedBrownkillinghimonthescene.No
matterwhatraceorethnicityyouare,youknowitisnotmorallyrighttoshootanunarmedteen
whowasnothreattoyou.Thisincidentsparkedariotinthecommunitywhichledtotheburning
ofstores,car,andplaygrounds.TheseriotswerenotasbigastheonesinLosAngelesbutitwas
thestartofanewtrend.Manytimesonceainnocentblackmaniskilledbysometypeofacting
lawenforcement,likeintheTrayvonMartincasein2012manyblackimportantfigureslike
PastorJesseJackson,andAlSharptongettogetherandprayandpeacefullygoabouthandling
thesituation.InFerguson,Missourithecitizensofthecommunitysaidtheyweretiredoftalking
,actionsneededtohappensotheycouldbetakenseriously.OnApril12th2015,FreddieGrey
wasarrestedinBaltimore,Md.Greywasrunninginhisneighborhoodwhichaccordingtothe
SupremeCourt
statesthatifyouareinahighcrimearea,andyoufleefromthepolice
unprovoked,thepolicehavethelegalabilitytopursueyou(Payne).Oncecaptured,
avideo
shotbyabystandershowsofficersdraggingainjuredGreyintoacopcar.Greywasseverely
injuredandslippedintoacoma.Aweekafterhisarresthediedwhilestillinacoma.Thepolice
failedtogiveGreythemedicalattentionheneededwhichultimatelyresultedinhisdeath.Ifyou
turntoCNNrightnowonthisdayApril27th2015,youwillseetheaffectpolicebrutalityhason

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AndreFelder
ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15
thecommunity.TheNationalGuardhasbeencalledintoBaltimoretotrytostoptheuprising
riots.Thisistheonlywaymyculturecanreactandgetpublicity.TheprotestersinBaltimoreare
braveforriskingtheirlivestomaketheirvoiceheardacrossAmerica.Ioncesawonasocial
mediasitesomesayWhyareblacksmadwhenacopkillsoneofthem,theykilleachother
everyday.ThisstatementisignorantbutIcanseewhysomeonewhoisntthesamecolorasme
mightsayit.Blackonblackcrimesisrampantthroughouttheblackcommunity.With
predominantlyblackgangskillingoffeachotheritmakesithardforotherculturestorespectthe
lifeofmypeople.Butwhenyouarepaidwithtaxpayersmoneytoserveandprotectthecitizens
thereisnoreasontoharmorkill,unlesstheyareathreattoyou.Theaffectpolicebrutalityhas
onthethecommunityisverypowerful.Ifwecouldchannelalltheanimosityintoworkingonthe
relationshipbetweenthepoliceandtheblackcommunitiesAmericamaybecomeabetterplace.

InordertodismantleantiblackracismusasAmericansmustunifyandstandasone.Often
timesintheblackcommunityweseethosewhoaresuccessfulboughtdownbythecommunity.
Thisisreferredtoasthecrabmentality.Whencrabsareinapottheytrytoclimboutbystepping
ontheheadsofotherstogetaclawontheothersideofthepot.Theothercrabsthemlatchonthe
theescapingcrabcausinghimtofallbackdowntothebottomwhereitbegan.Thisisrelevantto
myculturebecauseoncesomeoneisdoinggoodforthemselvesmanytimespeoplewerefertoas
haterstrytobringthemdownorbelittletheiraccomplishments.Thisthenresultsinnoone
makingitoutofthesituationtobetterthemselves.Insteadofbringingeachotherdownweneed
toupliftoneanother.Ifwedon'thelpourownpeoplesucceed,thenwhyshouldotherraces.
Americaasawholeneedstoacknowledgetheproblemofantiblackracism.Itisindeeda

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ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15
problemwithinourcountryandneedstobeputtorest.Forhundredsofyearswhitemenof
powerhavemadedifferentculturedespiseoneanotherinfearthatifwecometogetherwewill
betoopowerfultocontain.AccordingtoBBCNews
membersofvariousgangsincludingthe
BlackGuerrillaFamily(BGF),Bloods,andCripshaveenteredintoapartnership"saidthe
CriminalIntelligenceUnitinBaltimoreinresultsoftheFreddieGreyriots(BBCNews).This
unificationscaredthelawenforcementofficesinBaltimore.Ifthesestreetgangswhomurders
eachotherincoldbloodcancometogetherforagreaterpurposewhycan'tweasAmericans.
Thereisonlyonewaytoputanendtoantiblackracismandthatistounifyagainsttheonesin
power.

SincethebeginningofAmericasexistenceblackshasfacedmoreadversityanddiscrimination
thananyotherracethatinhabitstheUnitedStates.Whilewecannotmakeupforthepast,we
canmakethingsrightforthefuture.Wecannotcontinuetreatingourcitizensliketheydon't
belong.Wemustacknowledgetheinjusticeinourgovernment,lawenforcementagenciesand
ourlivesandlooktomoveforwardtogether.Weseehowtheblackcommunityisaffectedand
howtheactionsoftheblackcommunitiesaffectothers.ThenotoriousRapperBiggieSmallssaid
Wecan'tchangetheworlduntilwechangeourselves.

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AndreFelder
ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15

AndreFelder

AnnotatedBibliography

Coates,TaNehisi."TheCaseforReparations."
TheAtlantic
.AtlanticMediaCompany,21
May2014.Web.26Apr.2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/thecaseforreparations/361631/>

Coates,TaNehisi."TheGangstersofFerguson."
TheAtlantic
.AtlanticMediaCompany,5
Mar.2015.Web.24Apr.2015.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/TheGangstersOfFerguson/386893/.

"MarteseJohnson:UproarafterBlackUVAStudentInjuredCNN.com."
CNN
.CableNews
Network.Web.22Apr.2015.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/us/uvapolicebrutalityallegations/.

"ClevelandPoliceShotandKilledBlack12yearoldTamirRiceasHeCarriedaToy
Gun."
Vox
.2Mar.2015.Web.23Apr.2015.
http://www.vox.com/2014/11/24/7275297/tamirricepoliceshooting.

"WhyItssoDifficulttoChargePoliceOfficersWhoKill."
WashingtonPost
.TheWashington
Post.Web.28Apr.2015.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morningmix/wp/2014/12/04/whyitssodifficulttocharg
epoliceofficerswhokill/

"RodneyKing."
Bio
.A&ETelevisionNetworks,2015.Web.15Apr.2015.

Payne,Ed"FreddieGrayDeath:Protesters,PoliceScuffleCNN.com."
CNN
.CableNews
Network.Web.25Apr.2015.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/us/baltimorefreddiegraydeath/.

McIntosh,Peggy."WhitePrivilege:UnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsackbyPeggy
McIntosh."
WhitePrivilege:UnpackingtheInvisibleKnapsackbyPeggyMcIntosh
.Web.27
Apr.2015.http://amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html.

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ProfessorSipin
English110C
4/27/15

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