Black & White, North & South: Americans show the way

News about how huge masses of protesters are taking to the streets in the US are being broadcast on almost all media platforms. Police chiefs are leading their forces in taking a knee in honour of George Floyd, along with the protesters.

The geographical spread of the protests in the US, as mapped by the news site Al Jazeera, indicates an almost country-wide prevalence with more than 300 cities listed.

This is as heart-warming as it is surprising. The occurrence of the protests across the US for a matter of police brutality against a black person, not just in the supposedly more liberal east and west coasts (with cities like New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles), but in America’s heartland (Iowa, Ohio, etc) and in the American South as well -- in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas -- is unprecedented.

Till recently, the American South, seen as more conservative than the North, was a battleground over its continued respect for the symbols of the Confederate States. These states had “seceded” from the political Union of the United States in 1860-61. This led to the American Civil War between the South and North, with the latter prevailing. But the spirit of that Confederacy and its symbols, such as the flag and statues or busts of certain personalities is still very strong.

These symbols often adorn state government buildings and fairly recently, many African-American activists have been trying to have them removed. The administrations have been quite adamant, yielding only after a lot of pressure. Now, in the midst of the Floyd protests, comes the news that the southern state of Virginia has offered to take down the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

There have been numerous protests over the years over a host of issues that have affected black communities. But one has not witnessed a groundswell like the one right now.

A 2013 incident, that of the killing of black teenager Tryavon Martin and the eventual letting off of the security personnel who shot him, saw the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Then, 2014 saw two egregious instances of police brutality almost back-to-back. In July, Eric Garner died in a chokehold by a white policeman in New York, even as he kept saying “I can’t breathe.” He was accused of selling loose cigarettes. This cry of his as he was choked became symbolic of the oppression and suffocation that black folk face in general and found resonance in the George Floyd case.

In August of the same year, an unarmed Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri, on suspicion of shoplifting from a convenience store. The town of Ferguson erupted in fiery protests and the state government had to bring in the National Guard in the form of extra forces -- and heavily armed -- to control the protests.

Ferguson gave rise to a lot of soul-searching. The protests saw the rise of several groups dedicated to fighting racism and police brutality.

Representatives from labour, education, anti-urban-displacement (gentrification), and faith-based organisations drew closer. What Ferguson also engendered was some sort of rethink among the white population on confronting racism in the white community. Many predominantly white churches proudly hung Black Lives Matters banners, and organisations like Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ), which sought to “undermine white support for white supremacy,” became more active. Several other local efforts at fighting racism, with increasing participation by white members, came to the fore.

Another crucial change has been in the attitude of younger white folk towards issues of racism and the structures of economic oppression. According to a 2019 Pew Center survey, “Younger whites, especially those younger than 30, also tend to be more likely to see inequality in the way blacks are treated. For example, 77% of whites younger than 30 say blacks are treated less fairly by the criminal justice system…”

The election of President Trump and his actions like trying to build a wall along the southern border of his notorious travel ban for some incoming travellers, termed the “Muslim ban,” only brought diverse groups, including minority religious groups, together.

Actual organising for some of the original demands of BLM, including police reforms, indictment, etc., faded over time. There was no let-up in instances of police targeting black folks. In November 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by a white police officer; in 2015 Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore; and in 2016, Philando Castile was shot in broad daylight by a white police officer in Minneapolis, the very city where George Floyd met his end a few days ago.

There were protests over most of these incidents -- and also against the Confederate symbols -- but the response was often lukewarm from much of America, especially the US South. In fact, in 2017, white nationalists marched with lit torches through the University of Virginia (Charlottesville) campus.

The coronavirus has had a disproportionate impact on African-Americans and other minorities (including Native Americans), giving the lie to any claims of an equal society. In fact, it has once again revealed what a deeply divided society the US is in terms of socio-economic factors.

It is against this background that one must see the extraordinary nature of the current protests. Here is a country torn between ideologies, led by a polarising president and now afflicted by a pandemic that has put the fear of socialising in everyone.

Yet, casting aside all advisories, precautions and selfish concern, the protesters have gathered and stood together. They have resisted in shows of strength and they have made known their severest outrage and anger in no uncertain terms. The egregious nature of the killing of George Floyd has touched everyone irrespective of race, religion and ethnicity. The disparate instances of solidarity that have been cropping up finally found occasion to stand together.

The decision and inspiration by the masses in America to take to the streets, uncaring of their health, is a heartening display of people’s power. Their determination to rise up against injustice is an inspiration for all of us around the world.

(The writer, currently based in Delhi, was earlier involved in the struggle against police brutality and racism in the US)