The Rage Of Innocence

The Rage Of Innocence

Adult nonfiction
I want to share some memories from my teen years. At school I
was an activist protesting whenever I had a chance and taking my duty
to challenge authority very seriously. One year the school year ran
out before my detentions did. I often hung out with other teens and
frisbee chasing dogs in exuberant, noisy crowds. Some of us drank
under age. Some smoked pot which was illegal. We were not fans of
the police. If some passed by people would call them pigs and make
oinking sounds. They'd ignore us even if the odor of weed was
impossible to miss.
Obviously my crowd and I were white. If you're white also think
back to your teens. Did you do some things that weren't examples of
good judgement? Did you maybe break a law or two? Were your
consequences limited to those meted out by your school or parents?
Did you progress to adulthood without a police record?
Kristen Henning, author of The Rage Of Innocence: How America
Criminalizes Black Youth, was a juvenile court defense attorney when
Eric, a Black 13-year-old, became her client. He had tried to
duplicate the Molotov cocktail he'd seen in a movie out of totally
innocuous ingredients and forgotten it was in his book bag. Beginning
with the school resource officer, the police blew the discovery of the
bottle all out of proportion. In contrast a white boy who did the
same thing had his class schedule rearranged so he could take a
chemistry class.
Henning was outraged. She put her anger to good use. She
shares Eric's story and those of other Black teens caught up in the
law enforcement and court system that abuses and dehumanizes them--
even now in the twenty-first century. There are a lot of truly
horrific narratives here. Take your time reading them. Try to
imagine how you'd feel if these were your or your child's experiences.
According to Henning, many white adults are afraid of Black
children, seeing them as thugs, preditors, and dangerously devient
beings. People in power with vested interests in maintaining the
racist status quo are only too good at maintaining this paranoia.
"...There is something particularly efficient about treating
Black children like criminals in adolescence. Black youth are
dehumanized, exploited, and even killed to establish the boundaries of
Whiteness before they reach adulthood and assert their rights and
independence."
The Rage Of Innocence explores the many ways in which Black
youth have their chances for normal teen development stolen by police
and vigilantes. It probes the deep, lasting harm done to Black teens
and families. Fortunately it also delineates a path toward change and
redemption.
"So this book does end with hope, but also with a call for
justice. When I told Eric and his family about my book project, their
first reaction was 'These are stories that need to be told!' And they
are right, these are stories that need to be told. And I will keep
keep telling them until there are no more stories like this to tell."
Ultimately this book is a collection of stories built around a
horrific common theme. It's a must read for all who believe that
Black teens matter immensely. How can we contribute to moving toward
a future in which these stories don't keep happening?
On a purrrsonal note, and current and past Black Bears can feel
proud. In a blood drive carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday
University of Maine contributed 100 pints to the Red Cross. That's
going to help a lot of people! I volunteered both days at canteen.
It was a lot of fun actually. (Jules)
WHERE IS MY TREE??? I WANT MY TREE!!! (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to our generous donors and my gracious
fellow volunteers who took time to help during this very hectic part
of the academic year.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway




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