In the headlines of news articles and broadcasts, the phrase “situation in Ferguson” has been overused, as if to suggest that Mike Brown’s death and the protests that have resulted as a response are simply a set of circumstances that describe the condition of the town. It is my personal opinion that the use of that phrase represents the ways in which the deaths of black people have been normalized in American society, and the media’s acceptance of this normalization is what dumbfounds me. In America, it seems that “discussions” about the murder of black men and political outcries by populations as a result have morphed into casual conversations that one can have at the dinner table, in class and are also apparently great conversation starters for small talk. I am bothered by the normalization and casual attitudes that I have seen displayed in the media and by the people I am surrounded by, because it exemplifies the fact that many acts of racism have become so normalized that we cannot identify them. Journalists on news stations were not questioning whether or not Michael Brown had or had not been killed by a police officer, they were instead questioning whether the police officer was justified in killing him in the first place. The argument was whether Michael Brown’s life was valuable and therefore deserving of life.
To argue that a black boy deserved to die because he may have committed a petty crime and he may have assaulted a police officer is racist. It is racist because it shows that white fear is valued over black lives. One can justify killing a black person out of fear, and there are laws that protect those people who act out of fear and prejudice from being punished for their crimes.
I have also seen a lack of sensitivity and casualness exemplified in the Northeastern community. A panel, led by Northeastern faculty, dicussed the protests that have taken place in Ferguson and analyzed the response of the community and how it demonstrates the lack of trust the community has with the police. While the discussion was stimulating and thought-provoking, I felt it was insensitive to students who are saddened and angered with what took place in Ferguson. They are frustrated by the systems of injustice that continue to allow blacks to be murdered without justifiable cause.
Speaking about the lack of trust the community has with the police department is arbitrary given that the protests and political outcry that have spread across the country represent more than just a lack of trust an individual community has with their police department. It represents a population of people that are displeased with their government. If we are going to have casual conversations about such events, we need to start first by identifying the problem and coming up with a solution. The events that took place in Ferguson – the death of Mike Brown, the protests and the lack of indictment – are much more than “profiling, protest and politics,” they are a microcosm of American society at large. My hope for the future is that the response to the decision of the grand jury to not indict Officer Wilson by Northeastern administration and faculty will result in more than just an email.
– Eloni Porcher is a sophomore African American Studies major and an underclassman representative of the Northeastern Black Student Association.
Photo courtesy Debra Sweet, Creative Commons.
