By Lamont Lilly |
@LamontLilly | with thanks to NewBlackMan (in Exile)
Wednesday, April 29, 2015.
We could smell the
tear gas a mile away. Thick clouds of burning smoke spread city-wide. The
police, the tanks, the helicopters, all present and fully armored. From the
moment I stepped off the train, you could feel the resistance in the air. At
approximately 5pm, it was straight from the station to the streets, live.
When you take your time and walk by foot, the intense degree of poverty
will completely paralyze you. It shocked me, and I’m from the hood. The
absurd amount of boarded homes is absolutely ridiculous. The makeshift
neighborhoods comprised of trash and forgotten debris – the countless number of
dilapidated buildings, an absolute travesty. The lack of grocery stores,
playgrounds and recreation facilities. The community’s once beloved primary
school that was recently closed last year. The wasting away of Black bodies,
good people and buried hope. The emphasis of protecting property over suffering
people. While Freddie Gray was laid to rest today, these are the images that
still remain.
For those who aren’t poor or never have been, tonight is April 27th (the
end of the month), which for many people means that food stamps and EBT have
run out. At least tonight, poor folk can eat well. Thankfully, the rice and
pork chops were sponsored by the people, their courage and the Baltimore
Rebellion.
For those who were glued to the corporate media (as in CNN, FOX News and
CBS) unfortunately, you were force fed a pallet of lies, stereotypes and
propped up images – a ruling class narrative that intentionally did not capture
the spirit of strength, unity, resistance and perseverance. Truth is, we didn’t
see any hoodlums and thugs tonight. We didn’t see any thieves, looters,
nor rioters. All we saw was liberators – parents, workers and youth who
heroically chose to liberate the bare necessities denied to them for months,
years and several decades now.
So what people were taking some goddamn medicine! Pharmaceutical companies
are making billions off the poor and could care less about them. Yes, poor
people were taking pampers and toilet tissue, tube socks and boxes of cereal;
these are the basic needs they’ve been denied. I don’t blame them for taking
fresh food, new shoes, clothing and water. These are the basic needs capitalism refuses to provide.
After needs, there were also wants and desires that were met. Contrary to
popular belief, poor people like televisions too, just like the rich folk do.
Think about it, home appliances and laptops surround you every day, yet you
have no means to acquire any of these things. You see them on billboards and
watch them advertised on commercials, but you, no! You get nothing. So when
human need is denied by brick walls, two-inch glass windows and security
cameras, do excuse me, but something will have to give; and I can you assure it
will not be the oppressed!
What people saw tonight on their Channel 6 News were the youth and families
capitalism, U.S. greed and elected officials have thrown away. You can’t deny
jobs, justice and self-respect and not expect rebellion. The Black masses are
burning tonight because Amerikkka has burned them – excuse me, has burned “us”
for centuries now.
This is bigger than Freddie Gray, Walter Scott and Rekia Boyd – much bigger
than Baltimore and Ferguson put together. This is the underclass reclaiming
their human existence from a country that denies them the right to breathe, the
right to live without police occupation living on their front door step.
We are not thugs and hoodlums; none of us are. We are tired of being tired.
The oppressed have spoken in their own language, loud and clear. The
question is who will hear us and join the fight?
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Lamont Lilly is a contributing editor with the
Triangle Free Press and frequent contributor to Truthout, Dissident Voice, The
Durham News, and Black Youth Project. He is currently serving as a visiting
organizer with the Baltimore Branch of Workers World Party.