We send heartfelt condolences to the family of George Floyd.
The public execution of George Floyd has ignited outrage and waves of protests not only in Minneapolis where it happened but across the USA and elsewhere, including Canada, Germany and the UK. (1)
These included massive protests in Peckham, south London on May 30th, while thousands marched from Trafalgar Square in central London to the USA embassy, via Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament on the 31st.
Although all four police officers involved in the arrest, detention and killing of George Floyd have been fired by the Minneapolis police department, only one, Derek Chauvin, seen with his knee pressed on Bro. George’s neck has so far faced any charges – third-degree murder and manslaughter and that was after four days. This is also in spite of the fact that additional video shows two additional officers kneeling on him. (2)
The family’s attorney Benjamin Crump believes Chauvin’s actions were “premeditated” and the charges should be upgraded to first-degree murder. (3) It is not uncommon for more serious charges to be levied in the first instance, to be plead down during the legal process. So with such a relatively weak charge in the first instance concerns have been raised of another state whitewash following a police killing. (4) These concerns have only been compounded by the County Attorney’s Office preliminary autopsy report, seeming coming straight out of the Freddy Patel playbook (5), showing that there were “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.” The family plans a second, independent autopsy. (6) It’s almost akin to saying that George Floyd was ready to drop dead at any moment and he just stumbled across the hapless Derek Chauvin.
Of course, as horrific as the George Floyd execution was, it has to be seen in context of the apparently escalating dangers of “existing while Black” in the USA. Recent cases like Breonna Taylor (and her partner Kenneth Walker), Ahmaud Arbery and even Christian Cooper (who could have well ended up like George Floyd) are also part of the narrative. (7) Yet even this cannot be understood outside of the context of centuries of oppression of Afrikans in the USA. (8) All of this is amidst a backdrop of Covid-19 that is said to be killing Afrikans in the USA at three times the rate of white people, with reportedly more than 20,000 deaths recorded so far. (9)
In terms of the so-called violent response to the atrocity, the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr famously referred to “riots” as the voice of the unheard and he even noted now white involvement is overlooked by the media. (10) Thus far, we’ve seen white people (possibly police) vandalising property and also crying wolf after trying to attack Afrikan with knives and even a bow and arrow. (11)
In terms of the UK, the protest demonstrate the righteous anger and empathy with Afrikans in the USA and the organisers must be commended. However, it’s nearly three years since CCTV footage captured young Rashan Charles being choked to death by the police in a Dalston mini-market (while Edson Da Costa’s strangulation a month earlier was not captured on film) yet their deaths did not elicit the same public outpouring. (12) Similarly, the annual last Saturday in October procession for deaths in custody organised by United Familes and Friends rarely, if ever, attract the numbers that came out in the May sunshine. (13)
Ultimately, we have to address what the protests actually achieve and what our objectives are. Bro. Kali Akuno notes in the introduction to the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement’s 2104 report Operation Ghetto Storm:
“We must end our reliance on the model of protest mobilizations that occur after the police have executed one of our loved ones. This must cease being our primary means of securing justice. We have to see the war on Black people for what it is and proactively organize ourselves to resist it. To aid in launching and promoting these necessary organizing initiatives, we have authored and released Let Your Motto Be Resistance: A Handbook on Organizing New Afrikan and Oppressed Communities for Self‐Defense.” (14)
What is being implied is a self-defence mentality against a “psychopathic racial personality” that had engaged in a dogged pursuit of Afrikan people for centuries (if not more) irrespective of whatever “rhetorical ethics” they employ. (15) Even Hollywood icon Will Smith can see that “Racism Is Not Getting Worse, It’s Getting Filmed.” (16) This has raised an interesting conundrum for some confronted with the scene of George Floyd having the life choked out of him. Had it not been filmed its almost certain that no one would know his name and would effectively be case closed – as is the custom. On the other hand, had someone intervened, he may still be alive today.
Addressing the theme of self-defence directly Akuno futher asserts in Let Your Motto Be Resistance:
“The only way we are going to defend ourselves against these genocidal challenges is to create a massive social movement. We need a movement that strategically takes on the systemic oppression and exploitation that prevent New Afrikans from exercising self-determination and human rights.
In effect, the only way we are going to end this crisis is to fight our way out of it. In order to fight effectively we have to organize ourselves on a higher level. One of the critical areas where we have to step up our organizing efforts to be qualitatively more effective is in the area of self-defense. We have to be clear that we cannot and should not count on our enemies – like the courts, and other forces of the US government or transnational corporations – to protect us. We have to protect ourselves.” (17)
If we accept this then nothing less than a root and branch to community building will be necessary, organising on an unprecedented level, earnestly moving to eliminate the issues that have hitherto hindered our nation building efforts.
(1) Hannah Hagemann (31/05/20) George Floyd Reverberates Globally: Thousands Protest In Germany, U.K., Canada. https://www.npr.org/2020/05/31/866428272/george-floyd-reverberates-globally-thousands-protest-in-germany-u-k-canada?t=1590987492840
(2) Paul P. Murphy (29/05/20) New video appears to show three police officers kneeling on George Floyd. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/29/us/george-floyd-new-video-officers-kneel-trnd/index.html
(3) BBC News (31/05/20) George Floyd death: Lawyer calls it ‘premeditated murder. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52869504?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cv7wlylxzg1t/george-floyd-death&link_location=live-reporting-story
(4) Anthony Bertolt (29/05/20) Mass anger erupts throughout the US in protests against police murder of George Floyd. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/29/minn-m29.html
(5) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (14/01/19) Roger Sylvester 20 years on: Do we have any more chance for justice in the legal system? https://www.alkebulan.org/2019/01/16/afrika-speaks-with-alkebu-lan-on-galaxy-radio-140119-roger-sylvester-20-years-on-do-we-have-any-more-chance-for-justice-in-the-legal-system/
(6) Sophia Ankel (2004) George Floyd autopsy shows no signs of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation, attributes death to ‘being restrained, his underlying health conditions, and any potential intoxicants in his system’ https://www.insider.com/george-floyd-non-responsive-before-officer-took-knee-off-neck-2020-5
(7) Assorted Mitchellany (28/05/20) Existing While Black. https://www.mitchellany.com/2020/05/existing-while-black.html
(8) Michael Harriot (30/05/20) A Timeline of Events That Led to the 2020 ‘Fed Up’-rising. https://www.theroot.com/a-timeline-of-events-that-led-to-the-2020-fed-up-rising-1843780800
(9) Ed Pilkington (20/05/20) Black Americans dying of Covid-19 at three times the rate of white people. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/black-americans-death-rate-covid-19-coronavirus
(10) James Washington (Ed) (1991) A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. . Haper Collins. p. 360
(11) Oliver O’Connell (30/05/20) Questions raised over masked white man with umbrella seen calmly smashing windows before Minneapolis riots. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/minneapolis-protest-riot-umbrella-man-george-floyd-a9539741.html; Tim Stickings (28/05/20) Woman in a wheelchair is sprayed with fire extinguisher by looters who accuse her of ‘getting out of her chair and STABBING them while trying to stop ransacking of Target’ in George Floyd riots in Minneapolis. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8364805/Woman-wheelchair-punched-head-George-Floyd-riots.html; Ariel Zilber (31/05/20) Terrifying moment Utah man aims a hunting BOW at George Floyd protesters in Salt Lake City and yells ‘All lives matter!’ before a group of demonstrators tackle him and torch his car. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8373413/Shocking-moment-Utah-man-aims-BOW-George-Floyd-protesters-Salt-Lake-City.html
(12) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy (04/03/19) Deaths in custody – Will we ever get justice? Part 11 https://www.alkebulan.org/2019/03/04/afrika-speaks-with-alkebu-lan-on-galaxy-radio-040319-deaths-in-custody-will-we-ever-get-justice-part-11/
(13) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (14/10/19) Deaths https://www.alkebulan.org/2019/10/14/afrika-speaks-with-alkebu-lan-on-galaxy-radio-14-10-19-deaths-in-custody-part-13-is-justice-further-away-now-than-20-years-ago/://www.mitchellany.com/2020/05/existing-while-black.html
(14) Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (2014) Operation Ghetto Storm. https://www.theroot.com/a-timeline-of-events-that-led-to-the-2020-fed-up-rising-1843780800. p. 5
(15) Marimba Ani (1994) Yurugu: An African-centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior: African-Centered Critique of European Thought and Behavior. Africa World Press. p. 448-50.
(16) THR Staff (03/08/16) Will Smith: “Racism Is Not Getting Worse, It’s Getting Filmed”. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-smith-colbert-race-relations-obama-politics-sings-summertime-916816
(17) Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (2013) Let Your Motto Be Resistance:A Handbook on Organizing New Afrikan and Oppressed Communities for Self-Defense. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59826532e6f2e1038a2870ff/t/5b6657382b6a286b62226fc2/1533433672086/218033423-Let-Your-Motto-Be-Resistance-Self-Defense-Manual.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3t7FpBVnvhz3l4e6UySoeMa-LChZ4gQuL_1fYefpFgO91j5j4APx5CBAMf . p. 5-6
We ask the question:
How do we get Justice For George Floyd?
1) Were you involved any of the protests in recent days?
2) Why do the UK cases attract less of a response?
3) How effective are the protests?
4) Would you have continued filming or intervened?
5) How would we go about creating “a massive social movement” that “strategically takes on the systemic oppression and exploitation” of Afrikan people?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Sis. Marcia Rigg: is the older sister of Bro. Sean Rigg who died in Brixton Police station on 21/08/2008. Sis. Marcia has lead the campaign to get justice for her brother, compelling her to give up her 20-year career as a legal PA in the City, as leading the campaign “has been like a full time job.” Although the campaign is ongoing it has scored some significant legal victories against the state. Sis. Marcia is the current Chair of the United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.
Eld. Bro. Minkah Adofo: is a legendary grassroots organiser and has been described as “arguably the most prominent activist on campaigns for Justice in Black deaths in custody cases for over 30 years strong.” He is certainly one of most well known freedom fighters in the UK. Bro. Minkah is a veteran of numerous organisations and campaigns past and present – many of which is was instrumental in establishing, including : Black Unity and Freedom Party, Afrikan People’s Liberation Organisation, Justice For Joy Campaign, Afrikan United Action Front, Pan-Afrikan Youth Organization, Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum, Marcus Garvey Organising Committee, United Friends & Family Campaign, Global Afrikan Congress (uk) and Afruika Bantu Saturday School.