400 rounds of Monopoly
Bob was mentioning John Oliver and a segment he did on police brutality and how 'defunding' the police is not abolishing it. At the end of that episode, John basically let Kimberly Jones explain to the masses why is it that #BLM and how there's protesters, rioters and looters. And the difference between them. And boy, did I learn some things.
This is a very good explanation of why is it that those people are doing what they are doing. Why protesting and rioting are necessary. And why looting is a thing. The wealthy people feigning outrage because there's looting do not focus on WHY is it that there's looting, they focus on WHAT is going on. And here's where Ms.Jones hits the nail in the head. The systemic racial inequality and the financial gap between poor black people and the rest of the world is so deep and so often disregarded that it has basically reached this point. The inequality that has plagued black people did not start with George Floyd. His death has just been the catalyst for that outrage.
Say what the bigots say, economics was the reason why black people were brought to this country: agriculture in the south and and textiles in the north. Black people were the source of America's wealth. But NOTHING belongs to them. Nothing. So given that we are talking about economics let's use her metaphor and let's say that we start playing Monopoly and for 400 rounds I don't let you have any money, anything on the board. Everything is mine. And then after another fifty rounds of Monopoly everything you earned is taken from you. How would you feel? I got into an argument with someone because I gave him this example. He was offended. White people take this very personally. They don't realize it's not about THEM as a person, it's about black PEOPLE as people and their worth. Or lack thereof.
If you are a black person, you (and your people before you) have had to earn wealth for the people who have not let you play. And then every time they don't like how you're playing because you're getting ahead, they burn your Monopoly money AND the board. And it's back to the beginning of he game. And the people in charge of fixing that problem then comes and kills you. The social contract is broken. There is NO social contract. This woman puts it all so beautifully I could almost scream. And she's right. White people broke the contract and white people are indeed lucky that black people are looking for equality and not revenge.
Don't believe her? Well, here:
Tulsa:
Rosewood:
Oh and in case that's not enough for you, how about a whole thread of black towns and cities that were thriving before 'white anxiety', racism (some instigated by a white woman) and white supremacists would destroy them?
Should I make a thread of historically black towns & cities that were thriving & minding their business before racism & white supremacy destroyed them via white women*, local gov’t/mob violence or complete economic divestment after a “white flight”? pic.twitter.com/oGbfL3VZzm— RK Jackson | Atlanta 🛸 (@theerkj) June 6, 2020
This thread shook me up so badly that I've decided that one day I will try to make a post dedicated to only these cities, towns and neighborhoods. For real. Next time somebody mentions to me that all fucking lives matter I will slap them and then will recite one by one Ms. Jones' words. Fuck them and their strawman defense.
#BLACKLIVESMATTER
Also, happy Juneteenth. A date that needs to be celebrated.
#JUNETEENTH
_en_una_actuacio%CC%81n.png)
WOW....just WOW...
ReplyDeleteThat has been my most used expression during these last weeks, too.
DeleteXOXO
Ms. Jones is a compelling lecturer. She deserves a much wider platform. The monopoly analogy is spot on.
ReplyDeleteJuneteenth is only the beginning. It celebrates the end of indentured slavery, but the economic slavery continues. There is a move afoot, mostly in blue states, to bring the minimum wage to $15. Target recently announced that $15, which they temporarily moved to during the pandemic, will now be there permanent minimum wage. That’s a start. But more needs to be done. Healthcare, childcare, elimination of food deserts.
I don’t have the answers. But that’s what we pay legislators for.
XOXO
Oh, she was great.
DeleteTrevor Noah had her over recently, too. And it's not just the economic slavery of the minimum wage. It's also the school-to-prison pipeline and the exploitation of the working class. Not to mention the sacrificing of essential workers for the sake of the 'economy'.
Ugh.
XOXO
This is absolutely right. The wealth of nations is built on exploitation and oppression. To the extent that it benefitted our ancestors and benefits us today, we are complicit in that.
ReplyDeleteEducate HA! 😜
ReplyDeleteYep.
DeleteOf course, the willfully ignorant will never learn...
XOXO
I watched the documentary 'Let It Fall' the other night, about the LA riots re: Rodney King., though the story started a decade or so before that night. I lived in California at the time, so these stories were everywhere. But as I watched that documentary Tuesday, I started crying because I was reminded how, once again, we act like we're better but we're still the same.
ReplyDeleteThen I watched your videos here, and am crying again.
Will we ever learn?
Ohh yes.
DeleteThere's always need for background, when talking about this kind of situation. They never happen in a vacuum or are spur of the moment occurrences. There's a whole history behind them.
I cannot believe you were there then. It should have been traumatic.
These videos are nothing but a small part of the history of WHY things happen in this country. Of course, some people are bound to repeat the same mistakes because they will not learn....
So sad.
XOXO
Happy Juneteenth! Racism is embedded in every facet of our culture and as a white person, I profit from it staying in place. I didn't realize how systemic is was until a few weeks ago. We need to wake the fuck up and change this country. I saw a sign that said: "We aren't trying to start a race war. We are trying to end one."
ReplyDeleteAs Bae said, it should be a national holiday (same as voting day, but that's for another day).
DeleteRacism is as American as apple pie. And you are not wrong: that reticence to change from the 'good old boys' to change? Racism. A racism that is as systematic as it is systemic of this nation. And that sign is right. The race war has been raging for more than four hundred years...
XOXO