“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” – Malcolm X
The murder of Sonya Massey – a 36-year-old Black woman – a victim of yet another unjustified act of police violence, has sparked outrage and calls for justice across the nation. Massey’s life was tragically cut short on July 6, 2024 during an encounter with law enforcement, leaving her family, her community and many across the nation shaken and devastated.
The loss of Massey, a mother of two, has left a void that cannot be filled and yet the incident has taken its place alongside the many others who have met a similar fate by the hands of police in these United States of America. Land of the free, home of the brave, we falsely claim. The rebuked demon responsible for her murder is also a figure in line with the thriving business of racism in America: an unqualified and deeply flawed white man who can get fired from multiple police departments, even get kicked out of the Army, and STILL enjoy the white privilege he naturally inherits as part of the lineage of white supremacy, the unrelenting terrorism of Jim Crow and David Duke’s hateful Klan that is part of our American culture. They don’t have to hang Black folks from trees anymore. They can simply put on a uniform and carry on the Black holocaust in America like it 1619.
Although the police officer that should have never been one has been arrested and charged with murder, the investigation into the shooting continues. And despite Sean Grayson, the Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who gunned down Massey in her own home after she called 9-11 for help, did not turn on his body camera during his callous act of violence, his partner did, which captured the horror that continues to send shock waves across the country. And the vicious white supremacist audacity of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois is clearly stated on their website, “No individual or small group hires or fires the Sheriff, or has the authority to interfere with the operations of the office.” Sheriff Jack Campbell is who hired this unqualified goon to terrorize the public he claims to serve and protect. If there is any justice, Campbell will be forced out of the office he wants to rule like an 1800s Klansman.
The circumstances surrounding Massey’s untimely death is par for the course of American history. It is par for the course of the Black experience in America. And so, it is important that we, as a society, confront the issue of police violence, especially against Black people, and work towards a future where such tragedies are not just prevented but severely punished.
Grayson had a HISTORY of disciplinary issues. And yet, he was given a badge and a gun to terrorize the public. It is crystal clear that the “good old boys club” in America is alive and well ever since the birth of this nation built under the brutality of chattel slavery … Massey’s ancestors. Audio recordings — obtained by CBS News — reveal concerns from superiors about Grayson’s integrity and misconduct. And yet, keeping in line with white privilege, Grayson kept his job. He was protected behind the blue wall of shame, racism and evil. How profoundly spiritual that Massey rebuked the demon standing before her in a police uniform before he shot her in the face.
Our leaders are failing us in unimaginable ways. From never-ending wars with standing ovations for a war criminal on the House floor, a compromised Congress ruled by a foreign lobby (AIPAC), including corporations, to the steady corroding of the values we supposedly espouse. We, the People are left to fend for ourselves as we tread these shark invested waters of our so-called democracy.
And so, a rally calling for #JusticeForSonyaMassey is taking place July 30th at 6 p.m. in Chicago. This is a call to action for all American communities to stand together and demand accountability. If you can, join to ensure that truth and justice prevail. Not just for Massey, but for all Americans. It’s time to end police brutality. It’s time to end the weaponizing of protecting and serving. It’s time to stop the unjust killings of Black people in America.
