July 2, 2020by CheatsMovementNo CommentsCommunity

MONUMENT REMOVAL IS A BIG WIN BUT STAY FOCUSED & WATCH FOR THE HOOK

The legendary Chris Rock has a line in his classic comedy special “Bring the Pain” in reference to OJ Simpson, “Black People too happy/White People too mad,” the comic genius said. He goes on to say about Black people’s reactions to OJ, “‘We won, we won!’ What exactly did we win? Every day I look in the mail for my OJ prize…nothing.”

As I followed the scene of the Stonewall Jackson removal yesterday, I couldn’t help but feel extremely emotional that a monument that was erected in 1919, as an ode to white supremacy, was coming down due to the efforts of the people. And when I say “the people” I am specifically speaking to the vast amount of people that have advocated for removal since 1919: that includes the grassroots activists that have been leading the charge throughout Richmond since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, those that have been speaking out for the last 50 years, and even 100 years (historic figures like John Mitchell Jr. of the Richmond Planet).

As I watched Facebook Live and scrolled twitter, I saw a lot of people taking credit for yesterday’s actions, and, hell, a lot of people deserve a lot of credit, I’m not taking anything away for anyone: from activists to politicians, every effort was needed to make removal happen. And I hope that people are not dismissive or dismayed, this is a victory. I must reiterate that: This is a victory in the fight for justice and equality.  There are a lot of battles in a war, a lot of games played to win a pennant, monument removal is not the championship, but it is a game, and every game counts.

With that, there is a fight happening, and trust me when I say that the easier things get done first, whether we are talking confederate flag removal or monument removal. Let’s not be fooled, monument removal is not hard. Do you know what is hard? Economic empowerment for Black people, equitable housing for black families, and improved education systems for Black children, I could go on but I’ll stop there, you get the point.

It’s critical to note that while one segment of Richmond was watching the Jackson monument be removed, there were a number of grassroots activists protesting evictions at the Richmond Court House. The scene turned physical and the images were frankly disturbing.  Richmond still has one of the largest evictions problems in the nation. And mass evictions in the midst of a pandemic seem to be unconscionable. There is so much going on in the city that it is easy to lose focus.  

I’ll leave you this morning with this: Celebrate the win, it’s a long time coming, but don’t lose focus in the overall fight for social justice. Don’t lose focus because as soon as you relax and drop your hands — the hook comes out of nowhere and puts you right on your back.

Cover photo by: River City Photography @Rivercityphotosrva

2nd photo by: Dave Parrish @RVAphotog

3rd photo by: Chad Williams @echadwilliams

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Written by CheatsMovement
The intersection of hip-hop culture, politics, and community activity.