Newton North HS student Andrew Riebe wrote and presented this poem about the tragic death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis policeman. “Don’t Let This Go Unnoticed.”
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Thank you for posting this Bruce. Andrew is an extraordinary young man; he also spoke at the graduation ceremony at FA Day last spring. We adults need to do the work so kids like Andrew can focus on being kids, and their parents can focus on parenting rather than worrying about their survival.
@Andrew Riebe – amen.
As a start there needs to be genuine citizen oversight of the police so that they can’t get away with this stuff day after day after day and only occasionally get a slap on the wrist.
Beautiful.
The heartening thing (if one can be gleaned) from Floyd’s tragic death is that all on the political spectrum (left, right, CNN, FOX, Trump, Dems) have essentially come together and agree that this was horrible, wrong and utterly condemnable.
So good and so poignant. I just hate that it’s necessary.
I have a lot of feelings listening to Andrew. Anger, sadness, inspiration and motivation among others. “Beautiful” did not come to mind.
Andrew’s poem (great art) and its sentiment – drawn from the frustration of the third black man filmed saying “I can’t breathe” while being murdered by a cop -seem to be resonating with a larger than ever range of different societal and ethnic backgrounds. Ultra conservatives I know are incensed by this most recent senseless killing.
That’s why this time is a good place to start not only to recognize what white privilege means and the presence of systemic racism but to demilitarize police forces, to weed out those who join the police not to be a part of a community while keeping everyone safe but instead for the power it affords them, to have the police force in areas primarily inhabited by people of color made up of those same people and to have the police in depressed economic areas be from that area. Both kids and adults need to have people who not only look like them but have been through similar circumstances police them. As I said – a place to start – because this country needs to get to a place where any member of society can have the same experience with anyone on any police force.
Add to murder of black men by cops, the self proclaimed liberal woman calling 911 and working herself into hysteria because a black man – birdwatcher in Central Park – asked her to put her dog on a leash to protect a bird’s habitat and the white man calling the police because three black men were working out in a private gym to see how systemic racism and white privilege are everywhere.
Will Smith on Cobert reacted this way to people saying that racism is getting worse:
Let’s work to make him right.
I am so grateful that this young man is a member of our community. What a powerful expression. Art is an incredible tool to educate and heal. I would hate to detract from his powerful expression in this thread, but I can’t let this opportunity pass without highlighting the unique opportunity the City Council has at this moment, in this term, to be active accomplices and fight the pervasive racism that exists. We can do more than express righteous indignation for the outrageous violence young black men face at the hands of white people in power.
The City Council votes on special permits that impacts our city’s housing at each meeting. Some projects are bigger than others, and the larger ones you may have heard of , (can you say Northland?).
If we want to be allies (accomplices) towards eradicating racism, then let’s count each of our city councilor’s in on the next housing vote to increase housing stock in Newton. This will enable more people to live here, increasing affordable units and expanding capacity, ultimately enabling economic and cultural diversity and allowing those less fortunate to have access to our great schools and resources.
What does this have to do with George Floyd? Everything.
The problem is multi faceted- and the first step to equality is safe and affordable housing, with access to good schools and services. Righteous outrage is tiresome when one’s voting pattern is to suppress housing in our city.
This past January the Council found ourselves in a situation where we were determining when to hold a special election- and guess what? Four City Councilors used a tool of our City Charter to engage in voter suppression. Yup- look it up.
What does that have to do with George Floyd? Everything.
And lastly -Zoning Reform. Stop by (log-on) Zoning and Planning sometime and listen to the conversation- this is an important moment in Newton- Your City Council can do more than express outrage over George Floyd’s death, we can make policy and create a zoning code that MAKES ROOM, and doesn’t discriminate and codify the racist policies of the past.
Andrew- keep sharing your art, and I am sorry for going off on a thread dedicated to your art and your activism- but your local elected officials can do more. Hold them accountable. We have to earn our seats every 2 years. Make sure we do more than express righteous indignation. Make sure we vote in a way that creates a city that Andrew may want to come back to and raise a family in, and should he have a son, he will be safe.
Thank you, Andrew.
And thank you, Brenda. Using policy platforms to dismantle systemic racism and all of the infrastructure that perpetuates it is what being an accomplice looks like. I am tired of the righteous outrage every time an incident like this happens (or at least when people see the video) without action. I am hoping that if people in positions of influence ACTUALLY care, they can seize moments like this to prove it. Because for us Black folks, there are diminishing returns on the white liberal verbal outrage. It’s simply not enough.
Thank you Andrew. And thank you Councilor Noel. #MakeRoom
Claudia, thanks for joining the conversation on V14 and welcome.
Your words and others‘, along with the protests, seeking action rather than just temporary outrage seem to be hitting home with more folks than ever. I sincerely hope so. I’m definitely learning to check my privilege more than ever.
Fewer feeds on all platforms are filled with excuses for the cop who has been charged with murder – we will see what happens – or with “blue lives matter.” The videos of the white woman in Central Park and the white guy at the gym both calling the police just because of their incorrect and stupid perceptions are drawing mostly comments against the white people’s behavior.
Maybe those things are a start to changing behavior. It helps to have good friends to talk things over with and learn from. My son’s young black couple friends who moved here from Mississippi have shown us with their perspective and helped both of us learn to navigate our privilege. Having friends who will tell you when you are wrong with no animosity has been proven invaluable. I wish everyone could experience having great friends who see things differently than they do.
But as you said, change won’t happen unless policy does – not just affordable housing but zoning perpetuates separation.
Thanks, Marti. I have actually been here all along, but I appreciate the welcome. And I appreciate your sentiments. My one challenge for you would be to not limit your willingness to listen in those situations where someone is sharing their perspective “without animosity”. Your privilege allows you to pick and choose when and where you listen. Sometimes, being told when you’re wrong through a tired, angry and confrontational way that doesn’t feel completely emotionally safe are the moments when we learn the most.
Claudia, I’m sorry I missed you before. I agree with you completely. Thanks for pointing out my privilege sneaking through. I do listen to many angry voices – the voices deserve to be angry. I realize now that you’ve pointed it out that my singling out voices “without animosity” came across differently than I intended.
My point was supposed to be that it is easier to understand different perspectives and life experiences when a friendly relationship allows for questions and criticisms to be expressed. I’m lucky to have that and wish everyone did.
Regardless of the way frustration and anger is expressed by people of color, we all need to listen and take action to bring about change.
I love this. Thank you for sharing.
That says, it feels a little icky for a City Councilor to jump in here and hijack this post to push her agenda I actually agree with everything that she said, but it seems like a tacky and opportunistic thing to do to post it here.
Thank you Andrew for using your voice to call on everyone to act. None of us can know freedom and peace until we end injustices everywhere. George Floyd was killed because he was ACCUSED of forgery (and how many Facebook posts can you find where a black man was wrongly accused), a money crime, a non-violent crime. How would this case have been handled if George was white? Releasing the full brutal force of policing on people accused of non-violent crimes needs to be stopped.
Racial justice is more than the end of police brutality and an unfair criminal justice system. It requires affordable housing, good education, access to good paying jobs and health care and an environment free of toxins. These are things Newton has the power to help address. Zoning reform, Land Use decisions and reduced fossil fuel use in both transportation and buildings are among many things we are working on right now that would help.
Lastly, I would like to praise my colleague Councilor Noel for her leadership and willingness to boldly speak about tough issues.
MMQC- racism is icky. If I waited for a time that it wasn’t icky to bring it up I’d be waiting a long time. Be well-
I miss the Like button.
As a Black American and resident of Newton, I found Councilor Noel’s use of Floyd George’s death outrageous. In these recent weeks we have seen on video, truly despicable racist acts of violence and privilege. I am glad to see that so many people of all races speak against these horrid acts. It would have been better if those who spoke out against Colin Kapernick taking a knee during the National Anthem, also spoke out against a police officer taking a knee of George Floyd’s neck. It would have been better if the officers who detained George Floyd gave him the same treatment when Dylann Roof was arrested for killing 9 black people in a historic black church in South Carolina. But it just proves that we still have a long way to go.
But here is my message to the white residents of Newton; don’t use one of the more despicable racist acts in US history for Councilor Noel’s political gain. Don’t use the murder of George Floyd to attack your political opponents. And stop using the race card to promote your own ideology. You need to be better than that.
No matter how much we disagree with one another on important issues like Northland or zoning reform, we should keep the conversation focused on those issues. Not everything is about race. Most of the time it is a bad project or bad legislation. For example; 3 years ago, one was considered to be racist if they didn’t support the new proposed City Charter. Thank goodness the voters were not deceived by this blatant attempt of misinformation.
But since Councilor Noel brought up the attempted alleged voter suppression that took place this past January, I would like to remind her what actual voter suppression is. Actual voter suppression in this country are poll taxes, voter ID cards, literacy tests, changing the precinct at the last minute, deceiving ballots, voter purges, physical threats to minority voters, lynchings, etc…
Setting a special election to not coincide with the Massachusetts Presidential Primary on March 3rd does not come anywhere close to the actual methods that have been used and are still being used. The City Council had an obligation to set a special election date that was fair to everyone, not just to Northland. And I commend the City Councilors who chartered the Northland special election vote. It’s not easy speaking out against the political machine. It takes courage to stand up for an unpopular position, but I respect those individuals who do.
I have no problem talking about discrimination and racism, but let’s keep the conversation civil, let’s respect one another’s differences, and let’s not label everyone a racist simply because one might disagree with them. To constantly use the race card is lazy, unintellectual, and doesn’t move the conversation forward.
And finally, let me just say thank you to Andrew Riebe for writing and performing this beautiful poem.
Take care everyone.
Tarik Lucas, Newtonville
Former VP of the Newtonville Area Council
Former co-chair of the Committee for Responsible Development
Tarik Lucas. Thank you for expressing my sentiments better than I ever could.
I am so appreciative of Newton Police Chief David MacDonald for posting this statement about the murder of George Floyd. While we have much work to do here in Newton to strengthen lines of communication between our officers and our residents of color, I have seen how much work our officers do on that front, from informal basketball or ice cream socials, to a very powerful mediated discussion at Newton North High School several months ago where emotions were laid bare.
This is a very tough time and emotions are raw; I would urge us to be gentle with one another.
Thank you, Tarik. Councilor Noel trying to use this tragedy to push her political positions disgusts me. It was absolutely the wrong time and place. I will not forget that she did this when I’m voting in the future and discussing local politics with my friends.
Councilor Noel-
“I would hate to detract from his powerful expression in this thread, but I…”
No, you wouldn’t hate to detract from any of this because you absolutely tried to, and failed. This isn’t about you, or an agenda that you are pushing.
Thank you Tarik. I felt like Councilor Noel hijacked this powerful message from Andrew. I would have preferred people be allowed to take in Andrew’s message and privately reflect on that rather than Councilor Noel shifting the focus to her own message. The attention should have been focused on what this young person is expressing.
This is fascinating and disgusting, all at once. How are you defining “political gain”, Tarik and MMQC? What, do you think, the GIANT block of Black people in Newton will get her re-elected? Oh, no, wait. That’s not possible because it doesn’t exist. Is political gain defined as helping convey that it’s not enough to just SAY you’re outraged and unacceptable to do anything less than actually act? It’s only when people use their platforms to help dismantle racist systems that change can happen. I am a Black woman and I am incensed that people aren’t using their platforms in exactly the way Councilor Noel is to show true concern. It’s called being an ALLY and an ACCOMPLICE. If you don’t know the ways that these policy issues are intertwined with race and class I can’t help you.
It’s precisely this kind of concern without action and expressed desire to be inclusive without actually backing it up that has made putting our home up for sale after 14 years in Newton an easier decision. It’s no longer possible or tolerable to be surrounded by the righteous outrage. I’m so so tired of it. Save it unless you’re willing to be part of a solution.
Andrew said “Stand up and do something. DO WHAT YOU CAN”..
Councilor Noel can not have any influence on the Minneapolis Police Department policies or on how George Floyd’s killer and associates are dealt with. What she can influence is laws and regulations here in Newton that intersect and interact with issues of racial and economic justice. I am grateful for Councilor Noel following Andrew’s advice rather than just offering regrets and concerns.
To Tarik, MMQC, and ConcernedNeighbor’s point – yes, everything isn’t about race, and casting general policy debates into racist/not racist terms is rarely helpful, productive, or accurate. Equally, pretending that racial and classes issues aren’t inextricably woven into housing regulations and zoning laws both here and across the country is willful ignorance. Face it, address it, think about it, DO WHAT YOU CAN.
I was struck a few weeks ago when I read this history of the construction of Oak Hill Park in the 1950’s. The clear purpose of the construction of Oak Hill Park was to provide much needed housing for Newton’s existing residents’ sons and daughters. The teenage author of that report made a point of describing how the policy choices made there had the affect, wittingly and/or unwittingly, of nearly guaranteeing the resulting all-white home ownership. She goes on to place it in the larger context of how racial issues were playing out in suburban development across the country.
So yes, let’s all avoid playing the “race card” as a political tool, but let’s all confront head-on that choices we make as a community here in Newton, particularly when it comes to housing, do indeed have clear racial and class implications. Face them, address them, think about them and then DO WHAT YOU CAN.
@Peter Kay – The situation is horrendous. I am appalled at what happened and continues to happen. I find Andrew’s eloquence and mode of sharing beautiful and powerful and heartbreaking.
@Jerry. What you say about the History of Oak Hill and the history of housing discrimination is absolutely true and tragic. I’m simply puzzled why Northland made it into the discussion. The point that Tarik made and which I second is that the opposition to Northland and to Riverside, as well, centered on the size of both projects, their impacts on traffic and congestion in and around the tiny, conpact villages of Upper Falls and Lower Falls and in adjacent areas of Newton Highlands and Auburndale.
I don’t recall any stated concern or thought as to who would be occupying any of the affordable units except for a general endorsement that seniors should get a fair allotment. I think Councilors Kalis and former Councilor Schwartz will second that traffic and related infrastructure concerns were the main motivators behind the opposition at Northland.
This is still a bit of a raw issue for me because similar though deflected charges were leveled against me and other Newton Highlands residents a few years back when we laid the groundwork for community consideration of a Local Historic District (LHD) in small parts of the village. Keeping racial minorities and working class folks out of Newton Highlands was the last thing on our minds then. I’m also pretty certain it wasn’t on the radar screen of those activists in both Lower Falls and Upper Falls who were motivated by concerns over traffic, and by pressures on the structural coherence and infrastructure of their small, compact, and fragile villages. They may have been right or they may have been wrong, but their motives were genuine and not nefarious.
To Andrew and Tarik:
Namaste.
@Bob Burke – I wasn’t talking about motivations. In fact I think nearly any talk of anyone’s motivation other than your own is usually a dead end.
What interested me most about the story of Oak Hill Park is that it appears the overwhelming motivation behind the project were admirable and honorable, yet the result of the choices made were to insure a lilly white community. The lesson I take from that is that we all need to think about these racial/class issues in everything we do. Without that, regardless of our personal motivations, nothing much will change.
Look, Jerry, I like you, but you’re white man. If Tarik, a black man, finds what Councilor Noel did offensive, it is. I don’t think a white man gets to dictate what’s appropriate and what’s not in a conversation about racism. One of the reasons we are where we are is because white people DO NOT LISTEN to people of color. Listen to them. It is the primary way of being a true ally.
@MMQC – point taken