It is a sad truth that the police choose to use force more often and with more violence when dealing with black people than when dealing with white people.
Author: Eric D. Puryear
For the people who are tired of protests and activism surrounding police brutality and racism
I am entirely unconcerned about people who are inconvenienced by seeing a protest, or seeing activism on Facebook. If you think that seeing a protest or having Black Lives Matters show up in your facebook newsfeed is tiring, let me assure you that actually experiencing racism and abuse from the police is a lot more…
My speech at the BLM protest in Bettendorf, Iowa on June 13, 2020
Below is video of a speech I gave at the Black Lives Matter protest in Bettendorf, Iowa on June 13, 2020.
Where to donate to fight racism and bigotry
I had a friend who couldn’t make it to the protest today ask me where he could donate to help fight racism. I thought about it for a while as there are so many great organizations, and in the end I concluded that the Southern Poverty Law Center is the best option. They have been…
All opinions are not of equal value
In recent weeks I’ve seen a significant uptick in debates where people seem to take the view that their uninformed opinion on racism, civil rights, and police brutality are of equal weight to an informed opinion. That just isn’t the case. This is a somewhat long post, but I’ll try to be as brief as…
Confederate statues and “destroying history”
Confederate statues are not “history” but rather efforts to give a giant middle finger to civil rights progress. The article below makes that point clear, explaining the timing, location, and motivations of the people who put up those statues. In a nutshell, those statues were put up by white supremacists in response to civil rights…
Systematic racism is real
Although the existence and effects of systematic (or systemic) racism are well studied, there are still some people who try to deny its existence. The following video and links should help clear up any confusion. Definition of Systemic Racism in Sociology: https://www.thoughtco.com/systemic-racism-3026565 Finally, an explanation of systemic racism that won’t put you to sleep: https://www.vox.com/2015/4/23/8482799/systemic-racism-explained-examples…
Communication security for protesters (and everyone really)
I wanted to throw out a suggestion as to communication security. I believe (and hope!) that we are in a pivotal moment in civil rights history that may prove to be just as important as the work done in the 1960’s. While that is great, it also causes to me worry about governmental interference. Whether…
A Public Service Announcement
PSA: Just because you can dig up a Youtube video of a black guy saying racism doesn’t exist, or a Jewish person who says Hitler was right, or a woman who opposes the ability of other women to vote, it is not evidence that any of those things are true. But, it may be compelling…
Why I don’t focus on “black on black” crime instead of police brutality
In response to the question of why I don’t focus on “black on black” crime and do focus on police brutality, I would offer the following. “Black on Black crime isn’t a thing As The Root correctly points out, according to the FBI’s uniform crime-reporting data for 2016, 90.1 percent of black victims of homicide…