Dear America:
When we served you as slaves, you abused us, starved us, sold us, and called us lazy. You treated us inappropriately.
When we ran away, you came and captured us. Cutting off life and limb. You treated us inappropriately.
When we were emancipated, you put on sheets and raided our homes, raped us, and lynched us. You treated us inappropriately.
When we separated ourselves, grew and became our own thriving communities of Tulsa, Rosewood, Mound Bayou, Colfax, and Atlanta, as a nation you sanctioned the bombing of our communities, the burning of our homes and businesses, the brutalizing of our men, and the blocking of us on every turn. You treated us inappropriately.
When we sat down, you told… no! Demanded us to stand up by dragging us off the buses, off the streets, and out of our homes. You treated us inappropriately.
.
When we marched peacefully and unarmed, you sent out the national guard, the fire hoses and the dogs. You bombed our churches and assassinated our leaders. You treated us inappropriately.
When we wore dashikis, afros, and our natural hair, you fired us, derided us, and called us names for not emulating your standards of beauty. You treated us inappropriately.
When we kneeled, you didn’t address the issue. You simply rewrote the narrative, called us unpatriotic… and demanded we stand. You treated us inappropriately.
With each demonstration against your racism and malfeasance, you have labeled our actions, “inappropriate.”
But, in all of the years of our rebelling, fighting and protesting, you have never once acknowledged or changed YOUR inappropriate behavior.
Now, here we are… again. You kill us and then think you have the right to tell us how to respond to the pain.
After doing everything possible to be freed, even a trapped animal will chew off its foot to save its life… and not a single animal who understands will call it, “inappropriate.”
So in final desperation, we protest, loot, and burn down the village to be freed from your racist abuse.
And, your response is to call out the military…not to protect us or our communities… but to protect your racism from our “inappropriateness” in responding to it.
Please know this:
Until you appropriately surrender and give up your racism and racist behaviors, we will continue to protest… being appropriately… inappropriate.
The “Inappropriate” Manifesto
By Dr. Carolyn L. Gordon
3 Replies to ““INAPPROPRIATE””
I’m a white male who is trying to be woke. I read an essay like this and I agree. People who looked like me did some horrible shit. But I’m not those people. I’ve been on the front lines (5 years as a green job trainer for mostly black and brown people) and want to make things better.
But how?
Tell me what you – the author – want me to do. If you’re going to make a statement like this then help me help you. I’m not going to put words in your mouth and presume to know how best to help you. Tell me. I’m listening. I’m primed for action. But this is not my campaign so lead. This is your moment. Let’s do this.