Did you know that the police in the United States actually bombed Americans? And got away with it? It's not something you learn in history class in school, not even in college.
In Philadelphia, there was a house being used for an organization working to dismantle white supremacy. When the group started getting complaints from the neighborhood, and eventually were evicted from their building, there was resistance from the group. Instead of dealing with it in non-violent means, the police eventually opened fire on the building, and dropped an incendiary bomb through the roof. This caused a fire that spread through the entire city block, destroying homes of people not involved with the situation. They chose not to let the fire department attempt to put it out, so the fire just burned the entire block to the ground, leaving countless people homeless. Of the people who were still alive from the group being evicted, they were arrested, tried, and imprisoned, while the police faced no repercussions for their actions.
The date this took place? March 13, 1985. 1985. The 80's. The time a lot of us grew up in. Do you remember seeing it on the news? I sure don't. Did you discuss it with your friends and family at the time? Neither did I. Here's our chance to rectify that. The links below go into great detail about the attack and what led up to it, as well as the aftermath. Let's make sure we don't let this be forgotten to history.
Sources to read:
Philadelphia Inquirer article.
NPR article with firsthand information.
NPR article discussing a recent development in the story.
Addition here. If anyone reading this is white and reacts to Black Panther the way I used to, let me clarify. Black Panthers weren't out to kill white people. They were trying to get power for their people. Power that had been stolen from them for CENTURIES. Yes, they were angry. Yes, they got in fights with POLICE. Yes, they had weapons. But I'd say they had plenty of reason. If you still don't believe me, look around online. You will probably find what you expect, but you will also find other articles. All I ask is that you read them, and then remember the year of 2020 and George Floyd, and all the black men and women who have been killed by police just for being black. And start to really listen. Please.
ReplyDeleteAnd those same people need to reflect on their emotional reaction if they see images of Black Panthers carrying arms compared to when they see white people walking down the streets carrying arms. Walking into a Subway with their automatic weapon over their shoulders is scary, but for many of us, there's still a layer of safety we infer when we see their whiteness. We can know we're most likely not their target. And that is the problem...
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