Lynching Resolution Rejected in Waco
On yahoo news
WACO, Texas - A resolution denouncing lynchings in the 1800s and early 1900s was rejected Tuesday by county commissioners, while the City Council agreed to try to draft a document both bodies can accept.
McLennan County commissioners decided against adopting a community group's measure apologizing for the lynchings by a 4-to-1 vote, but then said they would work on a resolution all could accept. [...]
At least two county commissioners had said they opposed an apology because the lynchings happened before current leaders and residents were born. But they also said the victims should not be forgotten. (read entire article)
posted by hysterical blackness @ 2:18 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I was arrested once for being Black in Waco. The cop that arrested me didn't even have the decency to deny that he was arresting me because my dreadlocks made me suspicious.
This doesn't suprise me one bit.
why the hell were you in waco?
ditto. why?
I was driving through on my way to Austin. Made the mistake of stopping at a gas station to make a call to my friends because I was running later than I planned. I also made the mistake of reaching to the back of my car to grab a soda out of my cooler. The cop thought that it was suspicious and started giving me shit. I was rolling my own cigs at the time, and while being searched the cop found my papers. I'm sure you can imagine what happened next. I kid you not, when I asked the cop why he was giving me a hard time, he said that when he sees a colored (yes, he said colored) person with dreadlocks acting suspicious (reaching in the back of my car seemed suspicious to him), he has to take action. And well, I was quite vocal about how much I thought the cop was a racist asshole, and that didn't help my cause at all. So, I found myself in the McLennan County jail for the night.
Oh, and to add to the story. I was with a white friend of mine. I won't go into the details of how we were treated diferently, but he also got arrested for sticking up for me. He says that at one point, while we were in the holding cell, one of the other prisoners came up to him and asked him if I was his friend. He said yes, and the guy replied, "you should know that he's fucked in here being black and with that hair."
Fucked up.
I have a problem with people asking Duke why he was in Waco - this has undercurrents of a message that says a black man should not be in Waco. That is not the problem - an American in America should be treated with equal respect and dignity regardless of where in the country he gets out of his car for a fill-up and a soda - he shouldn't have to explain himself. To ask why he was in Waco indicates a belief that blacks are not welcome and could prevent such situations by staying out. This is segregationist and it puts the responsibility on the innocent black visitor. What needs to happen is a change in responsibility - the cop needs to be made responsible for his racist behavior. I'm not saying I know how it can be done, but it frightens me to think that the answer is to avoid the situation - it seems to me this will just continue to let racist pigs believe they are right and that parts of the country are actually reserved for them. Good for you, Duke, for letting him know loud and clear what a racist bastard he is. I'm enraged for you, and I have to believe it will catch up with him someday - maybe he'll arrest a filthy rich black lawyer who has nothing but time and money to mess with that cop's life and career. Waco needs a wake up call.
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