Dear Dr. Warren, I like this article, but to me, I see other issues that most media around the country did not cover. Personally, over this verdict, I am torn because (1) another Black man lost his life senselessly to police violence but (2) relieved that Black officers received historical “traditional” verdicts received by white officers in the past. I do know that this reflects prejudice – but I can’t help it having been there. Feelings of being a cop, never goes away for most cops. I still bear many of those feelings. But as I’ve perused this Masters Degree thing, I’ve been able to research and reflect on the MPD, the agency I worked for, and the city of Memphis, not just as a former cop and city employee, but as an outsider now. I see things now I never saw before.
Example: It’s not just impactful, Memphis and the MPD has a “2.5 century” old history of “direct” racism, hate, prejudice, violence against Blacks – hell, Memphis was the world’s biggest out-post for buying, selling and auctioning Blacks. Slavery started in the colonies, but slave owners traveled to Memphis down the Mississippi River to buy, auction and trade their slaves on Auction Street and Jackson Avenue, near St. Jude Children’s Hospital. When these slave owners arrived in Memphis, they were amazed and appalled seeing FREE BLACK FOLKS walking around, working, with homes and businesses. They got the MPD to chase down, round up and force Blacks into slavery – thus slavery was introduced to Memphis, forced, reinforced and regulated by MPD. In its efforts to resist the 1863 slave abolishment , MPD engaged in the Memphis Massacre – just like Black Wall Street in Oklahoma. The “same playbook” used by MPD back then against Blacks, has been used for 2.5 centuries with only slight ineffective modifications. That playbook is still being used today – even with Blacks at the helm. Those Black officers did to a Black man what white officers do to us. The head of the agency is a Black woman, but there have been several Black men prior to include Black City Mayors.
Personally, I don’t know how to rectify the outlined problems – I’m too old to actively engage and younger folks I interact and communicate with, don’t see it.
Olander Franklin
Memphis, TN
