This morning, our nation awoke to an all too familiar story, a police officer shooting and killing a black man.
The video of the Alton Sterling shooting is particularly jarring — as though we can be jaded to repeated instances of this — as Sterling is on his back, being pinned by police, when an officer draws his gun and shoots him.
It’s a sad fact that too many people don’t grasp. When you’re a white citizen, you don’t have to be afraid of the police. You, reading this, probably never have thought police could or would ever endanger your life. When you are a black person in America, you aren’t granted that same comfort.
In a speech at the BET awards just a few weeks ago, Jesse Williams delivered an emotional, powerful speech about police killings that touched on this same point.
Today, after the news of Alton Sterling’s death, he took to Twitter to speak on it.
1) In the interest of time, would ye noble patriots please provide a list of infractions punishable by spontaneous public execution? Thanks!
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 6, 2016
2) Upon receipt of this list, we'll return to our quarters and study up, eager to enjoy freedoms of white mass murders. #LIFEHACK
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 6, 2016
3) You chumps will NEVER provide this list… We see through you.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 6, 2016
Williams was touching on the disparity of many white criminals, Dylann Roof prominently, being apprehended without incident, while many black people are killed over minor infractions.
While you are here, please watch Sterling’s wife and son’s response.
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Sterling’s death.
[H/T UPROXX]