There have been over 1000 police shootings in the past 12 months that have taken the lives of American citizens. While a majority of the victims were white, Black Americans are being shot and killed by police officers at a disproportionate rate. This crisis affects us all, but it’s essential to recognize that Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by these tragic events. Despite widespread movements and protests against police brutality, a large portion of our population still directs blame toward the Black community instead of holding police departments accountable for the gun violence and crimes that plague our neighborhoods.
“I don’t need a fake Democrat to come and tell me that America is racist. I have eyes”- Immortal Technique shares during a conversation on the Small Doses Podcast, hosted by Amanda Seales. Immortal Technique joins Seales for a follow up conversation on politics, the obstacles that the Black and Latino community are facing, and how we should demand respect.
Part of the critique portrays a narrative that we only see protests when it’s a white cop who is the culprit of gun violence but we hear nothing when it’s within our own community. As Immortal Technique points out, we do gather in masses when there is police brutality but we protest in other ways when it’s within our own community. It just doesn’t become a national headline.
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How To Find Hope When Others Are On A Quest For Power
During the podcast, Amanda and Immortal Technique dive into effective methods for holding politicians accountable before shifting their focus to the pursuit of hope. We have seen a lot of movements rise to confront oppression but the human experience often feels like a relentless journey, navigating through those who seek power and control. Immortal Technique imparts a valuable lesson he learned from Harry Belafonte about the essence of hope and the balance required in any movement. He emphasizes that every movement needs both a ‘hammer’ and a ‘thinker,’ highlighting the significance of not favoring one over the other. Here’s what Immortal Technique learned, “Unfortunately, unless we have a hammer to break out of where we are, we’ll be sitting here thinking all day. Now if the movement just has a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.” Immortal Technique says, “So that becomes the only tool that you have and you deal with all your problems with a hammer and you end up breaking everything around you.”
Listen to the full episode of Small Doses: Side Effects of Answering the Call Pt. 2 with Immortal Technique here.
Listen To More Small Doses With Amanda Seales:
Small Doses’ Podcast: Side Effects of Answering the Call Pt. 2 with Immortal Technique was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
