It’s happened again. Again.
This time in Charleston, South Carolina.
If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, read this first: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-charleston-shooting-20150617-story.html
So now that you are up to speed, I can tell you that I feel spent. Tired. Fatigued at this bull. Because it’s a broken record, because it has happened in different iterations so many times before. In Asia there’s a saying: “Same same, but different”. What happened in Charleston last night is basically the same shit, but a different colour; a well-worn shoe, a well-rehearsed narrative. And I have come here, to my online space, to say something about it, just like I did months before when I wrote about Michael Brown and Freddie Gray. Again. Broken record.
“But this is a travel blog!” you exclaim as you scratch your head and furrow your brow. “About your overseas jaunts in beautiful Berlin and tantalizing Tanzania! Not about… black people getting killed in America. Why would you write about that here?”
Easy. Because I can and because I must.
I used to wonder about getting too “political” on my blog, but I now realize that ultimately I will use this platform to spread messages of importance and to discuss issues that matter– regardless of whether or not they are rooted in travel. Those who know me well, outside of the blogosphere, know that I’ve never been one to shy away from talking about the difficult stuff whether it be in person or on my personal social media. So, I ask you, why not have this sort of discourse on the “Oneika the Traveller” platform?
Blogger Luvvie Ajayi nailed it when she posted this today:
The last two sentences resonated with me. “We need your voice. Speak up.”
Because too often us bloggers don’t speak the truth or get mired in controversial (but important!) topics, for fear of alienating our audiences/sponsors or screwing up our squeaky clean online profiles, which is so very sad.
However, I felt compelled to add my voice just the same, especially after Luvvie’s Facebook post. Full text is below the screen cap:
Full text:
“Yes, this is a travel page but no, my updates and posts aren’t only restricted to travel. I learned of the shootings in CharIeston early this morning as I scrambled to pack my bags and head to the airport for my flight to Texas. I found out more as I sat in Chicago O’Hare on a layover and saw the tragic story plastered on TV screens in the waiting area. Now I’m in Texas following the story online for more details and what I’m reading sickens me.
The murderer, a white man, shot 9 black people dead as they came together at their place of worship— their safe haven suddenly turned hate-filled war zone. Before gunning them down he allegedly said, “You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go”. If this isn’t racially motivated terrorism, I don’t know what is. There is a serious problem with race in the United States and Canada and black people are literally and figuratively targets… just for having brown skin, just for existing. It’s awful, disgusting, and further proof that our society is far from being post-racial.
So miss me with this “there’s only one race– the human race!” nonsense because in many towns and cities in North America people with dark skin like mine are tasered, thrown to the ground at pool parties, taken into police custody illegally, expelled from their home countries (I see you, Dominican Republic!), carded unnecessarily when driving/walking/breathing in public, denied opportunities, and generally made to feel inferior and scared because of their blackness. Remember that and consider that before you open your mouth to delegitimize our pain and anger and derail the important conversations that need to be had on this topic. Understand that I’m not going to keep my mouth shut about these issues just because this is a page about travel. Know that I’m appalled by these vitriolic instances of racism and violence that seem to happen over and over again, just as you should be.
Rest in Power, Charleston Nine.”
You may not like it, but I will continue to pen these “uncomfortable” posts in order to highlight issues that should concern and upset us all. Unfortunately it IS about race and the sooner we take our heads out of the sand and talk about it honestly and fearlessly, the sooner we can come up with actionable solutions to combat racism and all its grim manifestations.
And so, we need to talk about Charleston, fractured race relations in North America, and why, in 2015, being a person of colour is still synonymous with being a liability.
Useful links to better understand the conversation:
Update on the Charleston shootings and suspect taken into custody: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/us/charleston-south-carolina-shooting/index.html
Why Charleston shootings are an act of racially motivated terrorism, why recognizing this fact is only the first step: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/charleston-church-shooting-race_n_7609640.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
On the Dominican Republic’s plan to “lawfully” export thousands of Haitian migrants: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/world/americas/dominican-republic-set-to-deport-haitian-migrants.html?_r=0
About policing, racial profiling, and the McKinney pool party scandal: http://news.yahoo.com/mckinney-pool-party-officers-past-includes-allegations-of-racial-profiling-questionable-police-practices-014210547.html
The murder of Walter Scott: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/08/us/south-carolina-officer-is-charged-with-murder-in-black-mans-death.html
The rising use of tasers in law enforcement: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150601/PC16/150609901/1006/officer-slager-x2019-s-use-of-taser-escalated-documents-fleeing-suspects-spurred-his-action-in-half-of-those-incidents-prior-to-scott-shooting
Racial profiling and the “legal” carding of black men in Canada– reflection by Desmond Brown: http://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2015/04/21/skin-im-ive-interrogated-police-50-times-im-black/
72 Comments
Good for you! Thank you for articulating this in a way that some of us can’t. I have the same struggles with my blog/social media accounts as well but the time to be silent about this stuff is over. We have to speak up however we can, even if it’s just sharing well written posts like this one. Thanks Oneika.
Thank you Erika!
I find it insane that the media in the US is trying to say it isn’t about race – of course it is! The gun laws in that country are also a massive problem. I am continually flabergasted with the high level of propaganda that US citizens are fed and the bullshit that comes of some people’s mouth – we are the only free country in the world, we need our guns to keep us safe – what a load of crap
Agree with you!! It’s the giant elephant in the room!
I’m having a hard time swallowing the “this is the arrest of a white person vs this is the arrest of a black person” images. I think it only adds to the fear and pain around the topic. I’m in no way detracting anything from the blatant racism and police brutality against the black community, but shouldn’t the dialog be more to the tune of “justice for Charleston, and black lives matter”? Forgive me if I sound ignorant. As a white man, this is just me trying to pull my head out of the sand and look for some perspective from the black community.
I appreciate your perspective, Kevin! I have seen those images floating around the net as well. I think that while the images are jarring, they show how much racial disparity exists and might just arouse the consciousness of those who would like to think otherwise. I think that both dialogues can exist, I think that the messages may be different (or have different audiences) but have a singular aim– to stimulate discussion and hopefully push people to create actionable solutions.
I love that you use your voice to talk and dissect these unpleasant situations and respect and admire you so much for it.Please carry on as I won’t stop reading your blog.
As an outsider (Black British), I can only look on in horror on the conditions in which our American brothers and sisters have been treated. I mean this is the 21st century and seeing black people treated as second class citizens in this day and age makes me angry as hell.
The U.S.A preaches the ideals of freedom and democracy but it doesn’t treat all its citizens as equals. It just stinks of hypocrisy.
I appreciate your support! Do you see any of this in the UK at all?
Well said, Oneika. These “incidents” keep happening on an all too frequent basis. God rest the souls of these beloved 9 people who all they wanted to do was give God praise in their place of worship. It is beyond hateful that we cannot be safe in the house of the Lord. It’s important to highlight this with whatever platform is available to us as #blacklivesmatter. The color of our skin should NOT be a target on our backs. Hate is Never ok. Thank you for using your platform to raise awareness.
Agree that these incidents happen too often to be considered a coincidence!!
thank you so much – I bow down to you……these actions can no longer be tolerated….it’s gone on to long…I’m 54 years old…..I’m tired.
Me too, Barbara, me too.
Thank you so much for this Oenika! Travel bloggers (and all bloggers) should stop being afraid to speak up about these issues, and fear of loosing followers and sponsors is just one way in which the system is trying to silence us. I hope other travel writers are as inspired by this as I am.
I appreciate your comment, Lucia! Sometimes we have to risk sponsorships and followers to transmit important messages to our readership!
As everyone else has said, thank you. Luvvie Ajayi is 100% correct: people need to speak about these topics. *Especially* travel bloggers like yourself. Understanding the meaning behind news stories is a really important aspect of travel (and thus travel blogging), so I think this post is not only appropriate, but necessary.
I agree that the parellels between these sorts of incidents and travel writing are intrinsic! Travel is all about tolerance, understanding, education, and justice.
Thank you for this post.
Say it! There are so few people (especially those who have the platform and audience to do so) who are willing to speak the truth that it is refreshing when someone actually takes the bulls by the horns and says what needs to be said. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Genessa.
I have a lot of feelings about the situation in Charleston. I lived there for most of my twenties and it’s still somewhere I have so much love for. It’s where my heart is. But there’s so much more to it than the tourist demeanor, unfortunately. There’s plenty of crime and tense relations between races, especially in city planning. As more people move to the city, the more the poorer people get pushed northwards to make room for the new additions. But I admire the response of the Charleston community in this tragedy.
Thank you for speaking out as a Charleston resident, Caroline! As we watch what happens in your city from our tv screens, having a local’s perspective is particularly important. I hope that you have the chance to write about what’s going on on your blog.
As a long time reader, I applaud you for speaking truth. Please don’t ever be afraid to say what needs to be said, and to do so loudly.
Thank you David I appreciate your kind words!
Brilliant commentary. Thank you!
Thank you for reading!
What are your solutions to the problem(s)?
Talking about them openly and honestly about race and racial profiling is a start! And attempting to dismantle them through legislation (bigger crackdown on racially motivated crimes) and education.
I am beginning to think that withdrawing all whites from the police force (or at least disarming them) would be one of the most effective life-saving measures that the US could implement.
Thank you for not being silence on this issue. I had a week long vacation which included the persistence violence against black people in the US and its portrayal in the media. I just finished a long flight from Rio and landed in MIA for a layover. I was glad to be home and recharged only see the news coverage of the shooting. I was conflicted and at a loss of words. For a place I call home, black people are still fighting against so much adversity. Quite honestly, I wasn’t proud to call this place my home and wondered if I could get another flight abroad…but to where??? While I’m still mediating about this issue and doing my part to make things better, thank you speaking out when it’s easy to remain mum.
On this note I wasn’t physically there, but you need to understand something, this is connected to media propaganda, the brothers a sistahs back at home gets twisted when this happens but a young’in I know gets popped in the head in front of his little man, couple weeks back a little 7 year old gets killed cause of some nonsense, my old head get popped in the head being the peace maker, by what Jim Crow Classfied group, it’s a ploy, kats gotta wake up. Dudes is killing little ones and extorting people on their own blocks and there’s no matching burning the thugs houses down kicking out the neighborhood. Reality hurts but truth is truth.
This dude killing people is straight foul, it’s wrong “racial tensions” or not, kats in the “Chi” smashed out a sistahs ( Vanilla tone) car with a three year old baby in the back seat, where was that on the news, dudes in DC runs up in a crib Merks the family, rapes and kills people one of the murder was a ten year old. All these joints ain’t popping in the media because they don’t sell records. Guess who the defendants are?
Simply put in Colonized terms, it doesn’t get peoples attention and steer up the divide. People need to stop baby sitting and be reprogrammed, there are plenty of oppressed people all over the world. Far more then I have ever witness or experienced and I’m from the block old school style where you tuck your chain in, and get the Lee patches took.
People are massacred by the thousands in countries
Same story different day. Ignorance.
Peace
On another note I think you did a good job with the overall layout of your website.
To run up in a place where people worship the Almighty GOD is straight irreverent, and I for one have no respect for anybody who disrespects a person that way.
The thing is you from Canada you don’t no how it rocks in our blocks. The level of hatred amongst the oppressed is high, and we tend to lavish ourselves in a world of unspoken codes fed by fear, uncertainty and desire for respect.
The lack of true guidance and self fulfilling emptiness has birthed a cycle thats all so common.
Answer me this over the years how has any of this brought people together for longer than the moment? If it has, why are inner city youth still killing each other at a high level. Thats what needs to be discussed and the source of the issue dealt with.
What happened in S.C is WRONG AND EVIL.
On the same note brothers is robbing, beatin down, and killing each other daily in the inner city. You gotta be ready as soon as you step out the door, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE? Chicago ((Chiraq)), Philadelphia (Killadelphia), I lived in Philly and loved it, but I also know that there’s a way that I must navigate and praise GOD I’m breathing. Chilled in Harlem, grew up in the South Bronx. Navigated in Brownsville Brooklyn, Flatbush, the The Bottom in West Philly, Waianae In Hawaii, all these places have a lot uniqueness and is home to some of the most dynamic people you will ever meet. But we be in war mode at the drop of a dime.
You know there is a problem when you are more uneasy around other dudes in your neighborhood than when you are in Toms neighborhood. Because if you front on me there will be a problem and that problem won’t die unless my ignorance does.
The facts is I’m much more likely to get merked by a brother than by someone else from a so called race.
Go figure. That’s the reality I have taking the steps to change, from the inside out starting with me and my family.
Peace.
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