US Rep. Alma Adams: We’re tired of waiting for a dream deferred

There are philosophical debates in communities of color that elected officials like to avoid. For example:

“Are reparations necessary?”

“Is racism built into our government by design?”

“Should police departments be replaced or completely rebuilt?”

We avoid these debates because the moral or just answer is often not the politically achievable one.

So we wait.

We justify the long march of justice through language like Theodore Parker’s:

“the arc [of the moral universe] is a long one ... But from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”

There is truth to that sentiment. We ended slavery. We defeated Jim Crow. Black men and women are billionaires, senators, and cabinet secretaries.

And yet, after 400 years of bending the arc, Black people are still being lynched in broad daylight.

George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery were murdered on camera as bystanders watched.

Breonna Taylor was a first responder, but that didn’t matter when Louisville police broke into her house and killed her.

We know what these acts of violence are: they’re lynchings. They’re murders. We have eyes and we have ears. Debating the minutia of these homicides cheapens Black lives and Black judgment.

So instead, let’s speak truth.

Even today, there are people who are still so disadvantaged by Jim Crow, redlining, discrimination, and the generational thievery of slavery that reparations are a moral answer.

Yes, many of our institutions, from the Electoral College to the Constitution, contain racist features designed to reduce the political power of people of color. Even the federal response to COVID-19 unnecessarily cost lives in communities of color.

And yes, we have to consider the possibility that some law enforcement agencies can’t be fixed. ICE is one such agency, and if someone like Officer Derek Chauvin isn’t fired and charged until his second use of lethal force, his fourth officer-involved shooting, and 19th complaint, then maybe the Minneapolis Police Department is too far gone as well.

If these truths make you uncomfortable, lean into that discomfort. We need a sincere national conversation about rebuilding criminal justice and policing from the ground up. If you sense that the status quo is untenable, we need you to be part of that conversation.

Your elected officials must act on these truths as well. Toni Morrison once instructed us that, “as you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.”

So let’s imagine a community that doesn’t trade black lives for the illusion of security. Ignore the voice of white supremacy and dream of the “Beloved community.” Envision what government looks like when its guiding principle is to create a community that best approaches justice.

Congress must act immediately on creating a national database of officer citations and decertifications and demilitarizing police. Local and state governments must prioritize establishing a duty for officers to intervene when they witness an excessive use of force and giving the public a larger voice in the oversight of law enforcement agencies.

Finally, Charlotte leaders shouldn’t hesitate: they should ban the use of chemical agents by CMPD immediately. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”

The people protesting in the streets are tired of waiting for a dream deferred, and so am I.

Black lives can’t afford to wait until the next election.

This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 1:33 PM with the headline "US Rep. Alma Adams: We’re tired of waiting for a dream deferred."