Mexican and Black Solidarity In The Time of 'Black Lives Matter'

I. Introduction:

Follow @GabrielaTlaloc --- Alton Sterling was shot and killed by Baton Rouge police on July 5. The following day, another black man in Minnesota by the name of Philando Catile would meet the same fate. Their blackness was perceived as a threat, and a result, excessive force was justified by law enforcement.

These state sanctioned murders were the 558th and 559th of 2016. It is important to remember that excessive force by police departments is not a recent phenomenon. It is an intrinsic part of the United States, one where blackness is equated to criminality, the foundation of structural racism that is rampant in our judicial system. Between racial profiling and stop and frisk policies, black and brown bodies are systematically targeted due to phenotype.

II.Root Cause

Like black men, Mexicans and those of Latin American descent are seen as criminals. This is reflected in the disproportionate arrests and incarcerations. People of color make up approximately 60 per cent of the prison population. Breaking it down further, 40 per cent of those incarcerated are black, while accounting for only 13 per cent of the US population. "Latinos" make up 19 per cent of the prison population, despite being only 16 per cent of the overall US population. Black and brown bodies are seen as expendable by the state. Mexicans and Chicanos must endure links to criminality in addition to undocumented status, a legal definition invoked by the government whenever convenient. Therefore, we are both fighters against white supremacy and state sanctioned violence.

III. The Dallas Shooting

I was sitting at the dinner table of my friends' apartment when one of them received a text message to tune into the news. Protestors had mobilized once more for yet another slain black man at the hands of police. A peaceful protest in the heart of downtown Dallas had erupted into chaos. Thousands of protestors and passersby fled for cover from the gunshots.

We remained glued to the television as local media attempted to make sense of the situation. I listened carefully to their choice of words. Around 9:30 PM one announcer remarked that the protest had been dying down before the shootings began. Yet still, social media was flooding with allegations that the Black Lives Matter movement was at fault. Hateful, racist rhetoric was soon taking over the fact that it was a peaceful protest. After sometime, I made my way downtown:

Im in #Dallas. My hotel is on Lamar. Local media is actually saying protest was dying down. It was set to end 'round 9. Do not blame #BLM.

— Gabriela Ivonne (@GabrielaTlaloc) July 8, 2016

All of downtown Dallas was closed off. It was nearly impossible to reach my hotel room. The police officer directing traffic was certain there was no way to get to my hotel. I eventually got there. The lobby was filled with tourists and law enforcement was at every door, carrying rifles, with their eyes scanning the room.

Pictures of an alleged gunman began making its way through Twitter and Facebook. A black man with an AR-15 hanging from his shoulders was on every news channel. In a society that criminalizes blackness, what could be more menacing? Despite the fact that Texas gun laws allow individuals to openly carry "in a non-threatening manner" a shotgun or rifle. The man whose face was blasted all over CNN was exercising his 2nd amendment right by carrying his rifle in a "non threatening manner". But instead of being seen as a law-abiding citizen exercising his rights, he was instantly criminalized and slandered because he was a black man with a gun.

In all, the lone gunman, Micah Xavier Johnson, shot and killed five Dallas police officers and injured six others. Threats of any bombs had been quelled that same night, however roads remained closed. Police cars were stationed around downtown, seemingly undisturbed overnight.

The following morning was filled with news on the gunman. It was discovered that Micah Xavier Johnson served in the US Army and was deployed to Afghanistan. His tactical approach was in part due to his military training. Johnson took advantage of the peaceful protest to serve his agenda. Johnson wanted to kill cops, not reform the system. There is a stark difference.

IV. The Road to Solidarity

We tend to say that the system is broken. However, the system is working just as intended. It disproportionately incarcerates black and brown bodies. Students of color are also punished at a higher rate than their white counterparts. A study found that for every 100 students who were suspended, 15 percent of them were Black, 6.8 were "Latino" and 4.8 were white. Many of those students tend to travel down the school-to-prison pipeline, a set of polices and procedures that emphasize incarceration over education.

The system was designed that way. What can we do as Mexicans/Chicanos? What is our role as an ally? First, we must listen to the Black communities in our area. We must show up because their struggle is our struggle. The anti-immigration policing that we face exists because of the same system that has prosecuted black men and women for centuries.

We must continue what the Brown Berets and Black Panther movements began in the 1960's. We can mirror what already exists on college campuses across the country. By marching, protesting and proclaiming "Black Lives Matter", we are taking a crucial step toward self-determination and self-preservation.

It must not end at the protest lines. Mexicans and Chicanos must continue to address and dismantle the anti-black racism that remains in some communities. Understanding that saying "Black Lives Matter" is not the same as saying other lives do not or matter less. It should not create division, but inspire more Mexicans and Chicanos to join the fight against state sanctioned violence.