Unarmed People of Color Killed by Police, 1999-2014
This Wednesday, I offered a dharma talk at Insight Meditation Community of Charlotte. After a 30-minute sit, we have a ritual where everyone says there name with a spacious breath. This ritual gives us a sense of connecting and belonging. As everyone finished, I offered a few names of people who are no longer with us:
- Rumain Brisbon, 34, Phoenix, AZ – December 2, 2014
- Tamir Rice, 12, Cleveland, OH – November 22, 2014
- Akai Gurley, 28, Brooklyn, NY – November 20, 2014
- Kajieme Powell, 25, St Louis, MO – August 19, 2014
- Ezell Ford, 25, Los Angeles, CA – August 12, 2014
- Dante Parker, 36, San Bernardino, CA – August 12, 2014
- Michael Brown, 18, Ferguson, MO – August 8, 2014
- John Crawford III, 22, Beavercreek, OH – August 5, 2014
- Tyree Woodson, 38, Baltimore, MD – August 2, 2014
- Eric Garner, 43, New York, NY, July 17, 2014
- Jonathan Ferrell, 24 – Bradfield Farms, NC – September 14, 2013
I said to the group that these are just a few of the names of unarmed African American men, women, and teenagers killed by policemen over the past few months, and I'm Ruth King, their Mother.
Needless to say, it was a heartfelt evening, and it was just two years ago when I spoke about Trayvon Martin and the Epidemic of Violence. Some of you may have been touched directly by these killings, and my heart goes out to you. To join hearts, I invite all of you who are reading this to take a few moments and look at the faces on this collage. One person would have been too many. Click the image and read a short paragraph on what happened. When you are ready, reflect on these questions to feel into this pervasive suffering in black life:
- Imagine stepping into the skin of the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, or families of one of these men, boys, and women. What does that feel like?
- How might you feel if your mother, father, sister, brother, son, or daughter's picture was included in the above collage? See them there as you look at that constellation.
- How would you feel if there was no indictment for the observable killing of your loved one?
- What might you feel if you were the mother or father, son or daughter of the police who did the killing?
- What are you feeling in your heart, body, and mind as you sit with this contemplation? Are you on fire? Numb? Sad? Indifferent?
- What action feels urgent? How clear are you about what to do?
- How would you feel if you had done everything humanly possible to no avail? What would you do then?
- Abstaining from taking life
- Abstaining from taking what is not offered
- Abstaining from sexual misconduct
- Abstaining from false or hateful speech
- Abstaining from intoxicants that fog the mind and lead to carelessness
I have found that when I am not mindful of these precepts, I rob myself of the clarity and energy needed to meet the suffering of our times. While this list may not be your list, what I have found in my mindfulness practice is that it is essential to have a list as it supports self-accountability and guides action that safeguard our own hearts and our collective healing.
Courage is key in kinship and karma. Just as it is necessary to blow the whistle on Uncle Jim who is sexually abusing your sister or brother, knowing it will upset the family but in the end it is the right thing to do for all, we must also point out the violators -- which may include ourselves -- and transform the mental and social constructions that systemically and generationally kill and oppress human life and nature, and put a stop to it. Ideally we cultivate our heart mind so that we can do this with as much kindness and wisdom as possible, but it must be done.
We begin by being willing to look, feel, care, and act as if our life depended on our actions, because it does.
Dear Ruth, So much chat, babble and hashtag 24/7 re Black Lives Matter. I am thankful for your exquisite wisdom on this subject.
Your friend always,
Lupa
Beautiful Ruth, so eloquently put…thank you so much for sharing. Blessings, Cindi
Thank you for this post as well Ruth and for turning me onto The Wurd:) Lovingly, Noreen
I so appreciate these words of wisdom and peace. Thank you.
Dear Ruth, thank you for this powerful and moving message. Your reflection questions made me stop and connect my heart to a person. I’m white. Even though these police killings upset me, I tend to respond as if it is happening to an abstract other. Thank you for calling me to pause and expand my heart space to embrace a pain that is far greater than I want to embrace.
Thank you, Ruth. A deep bow of appreciation. Love, Hugh
I resonated personally with your statement that you are the mother of the young men in these photos who died. I am the grandmother and great grandmother of boys with African ancestry. (5 in all) I am white. Police have stopped my relatives for no reason except Driving While Black. I could go on and on about other insults they have endured by police. We ALL need to consider people of ALL colors our family members. Thank you, Ruth. These children and young men are OUR children. My heart is sore for the families and friends of these boys and men.
Dear Ruth.
I am so deeply moved by what you have offered. Thank you for bringing the Dharma. This is what we need. Spending time with this listing of people’s lives who have been taken was very powerful for me – the stories, and the presence of each person that comes through the photos. But then to step deeper into this experience through the questions you asked was profound. I am white. My mother is white. But I immediately saw her face there, and felt the sense of loss and betrayal down to my fingertips – if this had happened, if this was how she had died. Next came an image of my daughter, who is biracial. Now the threat comes closer to home. What can I say? I have a deep passion for justice and equity, and I didn’t know I could step deeper into this path. The stark reality is that while my child is a girl, she is also black. As are all her beloved cousins (uncles … aunts … ) on her father’s side of the family. And then, of course, there is her father. I known you know I have a very particular relationship to this threat.
I have read several excellent things here. Certainly prize bookmarking for revisiting. I’m surprised at how much effort you put into making this wonderful informative website.
Deep bows to you, my friend… I’m so grateful for your presence in my life and in Life!
Your words provide a bridge for learning, healing, action, and evolutionary change that each heart that reads this can muster the courage to open and change in a way that changes us all.Reminding us once again that separation is an illusion. I am always struck by your eloquence, and grateful for your loving presence in my life and the in the world.
Ruth,
This is a wonderful and powerful piece. We are created for relatedness and for community. This takes us through a process that reminds us of our deep connections as human beings and the importance of not disconnecting and holding sacred space for the suffering that exists. Much Love Karyn
We have a special mutual friend and I love what I read from your writings and from Barbara and I love the love you share. I am so happy for what you offer and for the joy you bring to my dear friend. Thank you!
Jim.