Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?

Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?

Adult nonfiction
"The pages ahead reflect the people's struggles in the invisible
sectors of American society, sectors which, by a terrible necessity,
are populated largely by Blacks, Latinos, immigrants, the
incarcerated, and those with little income. From that repression
comes solidarity, resistance, rebellion, and change."
Mumia Abu-Jamal's Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? consists of a
wide range of essays that originated as radio commentaries. Although
he and Asim expound on the same basic theme (the longevity, ubiquity,
and systemic entrenchment of racism and racial violence), Abu-Jamal
takes a different approach. After an introduction delineating the
ugly history of lethal American racial brutality he covers a time line
from 1998 to 2015. Each date he includes centers on an incident and
its meaning for Blacks. For example:
*March 4, 2012. A well respected federal judge sent a racist joke
demeaning Obama and his mother to his friends and got away with it.
Alpha Whites can perform racism while not being considered racists;
*July 14, 2013. George Zimmerman was acquitted of Trayvon Martin's
murder.
"What does it mean? Well, it means precisely what you think it
means: Black life is as cheap as day-old pretzels";
*December 4, 2014. A grand jury refuses to indict the cops who killed
Eric Garner even though this evil deed was videotaped. Grand juries
indict whom they wish and clear whom they wish, those whom they wish
to clear often being cops.
Its modest paperback size and compact, pithy pieces make Have
Black Lives Ever Mattered? a great errand running carry along--perfect
for all the waiting in social distanced lines necessitated by our
pandemic new normal.
On a purrrsonal note, the second half of my school week is passing
nicely. I've sent in assignment 4 in statistics and am ready to
tackle assignment 5.
Halloween is going to be weird compared to happier times. Normally I
have events to attend, people to admire my costume. This year my
"plan" is to read a scary book and eat candy and hand out candy to any
kids who come by trick or treating.
It's Thanksgiving, though, that has me freaked out. The big dinner is
an evening meal at the in-laws'. Since Eugene hunts he usually drops
me off at some ungodly hour of the morning. Opting out is seen as an
insult. So I feel like my "choices" are spending 11 hours fearing
that I'm in the asymptomatic stage and capable of killing my medically
frail mother-in-law who is at high risk due to comorbidities or doing
the ethical thing and having the in-laws and my husband pissed off.
(Jules)
Trick or treat is should not be just for hoomans. I'm hoping for
tuna. (Tobago).
A great shout out goes out to you, our readers, with best wishes for a
safe and happy Halloween.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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