People of all races, ages and gender supported Blackout DC, marching from the White House to the U.S. Capitol to oppose police mistreatment of African Americans. (Photo by Melanie Duncan)
Sandra Bland is among the most recent names added to the list of unarmed Blacks who have died, either at the hands of the police or while in their custody. But, her family and supporters of the #BlackLivesMatter movement are not buying reports by Texas authorities who say she hung herself after being arrested.
On Aug. 15, at least 300 people formed a diverse crowd at Lafayette Square for Blackout DC 2015, a protest to voice dissatisfaction with the treatment of Black Americans. “With the recent death of Sandra Bland, which echoes countless encounters of police brutality, the burning of Black churches, and other racially motivated attacks against Black Americans, it is important that we make it known that we will not stand by as Blacks continue to be targeted and murdered,” Blackout DC lead coordinator Indigo said in a statement. “Across this country, Black bodies are marked as dangerous, and because of this, not only are we brutalized and murdered, but our murders are justified.”
Signs stating, “Stop the war on Black America” and “Stop racist police terror” were extended in the air by Black and White hands. One young White woman made a sign stating, “Even White people are tired of White people’s bullsh*t.” And young Black and White supporters took turns lifting a hand-made coffin to represent the increasing count of Black bodies at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect.
Songstress Janelle Monae and rapper Jidenna led over 100 protestors to the White House, where the two groups merged to march to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The rally also paused along its route on 15th Street NW, in front of Donald Trump’s forthcoming hotel site, to denounce his presidential campaign and refute his controversial statements about Latin Americans made in reference to his plan for immigration reform in which he proposes to end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal aliens.
Further down the road, two protestors – one of whom said she is a member of the Black Panther Party – became angry when Metropolitan police blocked the procession from taking Interstate 395 to the building. However, the event remained peaceful from start to finish and was escorted by police cruisers.
With a cracked voice, the names of just some of the unarmed Black men and women who have lost their lives to the police were read in front of the Capitol, including Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Rekia Boyd, Freddie Gray, Jonathan Crawford, Walter Scott, and Sam Dubose. “We need to stand up for the right to be Black in America, because we seek merely to exist without threat, to be allowed to thrive without the fear of brutality,” Indigo said. “Blackness is not a danger nor a disease, and it is time we stop allowing society to treat it like so.”
