Hey there,
This week, I went to one of the big protests in downtown L.A. I'll be honest. I was scared to go. Scared because of coronavirus and the footage I'd seen on the news. Scared of getting hurt or sick. But some friends offered that we could march together and I took them up on it.
Thousands of us were together in the streets to protest injustice and violence and racism. There was such a spirit of generosity and community at the action. People were walking through the crowd offering hand sanitizer and water and snacks and masks, all for free. One guy brought a big stack of pizzas and another brought a giant tray of In-N-Out Burgers. And the only people I saw not wearing masks were the police and soldiers.
As for the protest itself, it was big and diverse and loud and angry but also entirely peaceful. At one point, everyone in the entire crowd of thousands took a knee and had a moment of silence. It was incredibly powerful and also called into question why heavily armed soldiers in military vehicles and police in full riot gear were considered an appropriate response?
It's a very intense time in our country right now. There's so much happening all at once. But it's clearly also a time when there is the potential for change. Don't give in to fear. Support justice. Support equality. You might even get a free slice of pizza along the way.
Upcoming Events
LIVESTREAMS:
With everything going on, it doesn't feel right to me to do a goofy gameshow today. I know we need to take a break from the world and have some escapist laughs sometimes too, but I'm just not feeling it today. So no "Come On Down" this week.
AROUND THE INTERNET:
- WYATT CENAC'S PROBLEM AREAS: HBO made the whole series free on YouTube (in the US). I wrote for the show and we spent the whole first season looking at solutions to policing in America. Two episodes in particular that I'd recommend watching are the look at policing/training in Minnesota and the episode where Wyatt goes to LA to explore what would happen if we funded social services instead of expanding law enforcement. Both of those links are cued up to the right spot in the episode. But you can also just watch the whole season!
This week’s list
GREAT:
Amber Ruffin is a delight. She's so smart and funny and unique. Amber is one of the writers on Late Night with Seth Meyers and a frequent on-camera presence. This week, she's opened their show each night with a story about one of her run-ins with the police. You should watch them all. But here is her most recent: Amber Ruffin's Experience with the Police
FUNNY:
Michael Che had one of the sharpest jokes about the phrase "Black Lives Matter" in his 2016 Netflix special. This week he said, “I’m happy that people like the clip, but it’s also kind of a bummer that it’s still relevant... [I feel like] the guy who wrote ‘Amazing Grace’: You’re happy you hear the song, but every time you hear it you’re like ‘Oh no, what happened?’” Michael Che Matters
INTERESTING:
During the year that we covered policing on Problem Areas, we heard from activists, experts, and police across the country. I read a bunch of books and watched every documentary I could find. One of the big surprises for me was that conservative cops and hardcore activists tended to agree that police are asked to do far too much. Why are they the ones we put in charge of mental illness, homelessness, drug addiction, or domestic violence? Obviously those groups differ on what the solutions should be. But one of the most helpful and insightful resources I came across about the role of police in our society was The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale. It's available for free now as an e-book and I think it's an important (and ultimately hopeful!) read. Here's also an interesting PBS Newshour segment with him from 2018: Has Policing in America Gone Too Far?
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Take care of each other,
Chris