“I can’t breathe.”
ILWU International Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris
These three words seemingly can’t get out of my head. Quite honestly, they have haunted me ever since I witnessed the recent public police execution of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.
That is the day that former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin murdered Mr. George Floyd by applying an illegal and unjustifiable chokehold.
That is the day that he knelt with his full body weight on George Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
That is the day that three other former Minneapolis policemen openly ignored Derek Chauvin’s criminal behavior.
They all quietly watched a man be choked to death by their co-worker and shamefully, did not intervene at all. That is the day that George Floyd’s humanity was ignored by the very people who were paid to protect and serve the public. Fortunately for all of us, that is also the day that a courageous teenager, Ms. Darnella Frazier, filmed Derek Chauvin’s cruel murder of George Floyd. If she had not, one could argue that the current wave of increased social activism and public demand for police reform in this country would not exist.
I never met George Floyd, but after watching the video of his death by law enforcement, I shamefully realized that I personally haven’t done enough to advocate for the significant changes and reforms required to end systemic racism. You see, it isn’t enough to just be kind, courteous, and decent to all people.
It isn’t enough to not possess hate in your heart. It isn’t enough to treasure diversity or inclusion or have friends of all different types of ethnicities. We all must do more. In my opinion, we must collectively recognize the vast societal inequities that exist in the U.S. and eliminate them if we ever are going to experience true equality, justice, and peace for all of our people.
The Problem of Systemic Racism in the United States
In a June 23, 2020 ASU NOW interview, Arizona State University Associate Professor Eleanor Seaton clearly explains that “Racism is a system of power and privilege based on perceived race and/or ethnicity that defines one group as dominant to and more deserving than all other groups. In this system, there is a dominant group (e.g. whites) and there are subordinate groups including Native Americans, Black Americans, Lantinx, and Asian Americans. Racism is rooted in historical oppression (e.g. genocide of Native Americans, enslavement of Africans) such that subordinate groups were and are defined as “inferior” to the “superior” dominant white group. The dominant group created and currently maintains societal privilege through values, behaviors, and institutions. This privilege results in subordinate groups lacking access to power, status, and resources.”
“One of the most common misconceptions about racism is that it is based solely on individual acts. Many people believe that a few individual “bad apples” are racist or engage in racist behaviors. In fact, racism is baked into our society and in the institutions that make up our society, including schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, banks, health care, the media, and policing systems.”
“What is systemic racism or institutional racism?”
“Institutional racism is when societal institutions engage in practices that favor the dominant group and practices that are biased against subordinate groups. It is important to acknowledge that institutional racism in one domain reinforces institutional racism in other domains, providing an interconnected system that constantly reinforces each other while reproducing racial disparities across the lifespan.
I would argue that institutional racism is more dangerous than individual racism because institutional racism creates environments that dictate every aspect of life for subordinate individuals. Racism dictates where one lives and attends school, what type of jobs one is able to work, whether one has health care, whether one has access to healthy and nutritious food and where one is treated fairly by the criminal justice system to name a few examples. The cycle repeats itself throughout the lives of individuals and across generations.”
Professor Seaton’s explanation of systemic racism has really helped me in my personal understanding of racism in general, and I truly hope that her words educate you as well. George Floyd’s Memorial Service On June 8, 2020, I had the honor of representing the ILWU at George Floyd’s memorial service in Houston, Texas along with Melvin Mackay (Local 10) and Tyrone Harvey (Local 19).
I was thrilled by this opportunity but was admittedly concerned about traveling in the midst of a global pandemic. I worried about potentially compromising my family’s health and safety. But after much family discussion, it was decided that I would self-quarantine after attending the service and that alleviated the majority of my concerns.
Attending the memorial service was definitely the right decision and I would like to personally thank ILWU President Willie Adams and ILWU Vice President Bobby Olvera, Jr. for their ongoing support and encouragement. Special thanks also go out to our ILA comrades for their wonderful hospitality and solidarity that they provided our delegation throughout the day. The memorial service took place at a beautiful church named The Fountain of Praise Church in Southwest Houston. Despite the sweltering heat, the attendance at George Floyd’s memorial service was remarkable with estimates of approximately 6,000 people.
We were all fortunate to experience the palpable feeling of community, solidarity, and hope in that large crowd. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Civil rights activist and scholar W. E. B. Du Bois once said “Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.” It is long overdue that we collectively heed Du Bois’ wise and cautionary words. If we do not, we will never be truly “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”
In solidarity,
Ed Ferris
#Blacklivesmatter