Dear White Folx

As many of you know, I am a united methodist missionary who works as a community organizer in Philadelphia, PA. I direct a community meal serve for the unhoused and I also direct a community garden in North Philadelphia.

Black People are dying in Philadelphia and across this country. They are dying from police bullets in their bodies or knees to their necks. They are dying by walking in a park, writing a check, eating skittles, being in their homes. They are dying from gentrification, redlining, policy brutality, food deserts, privatization of schools, polluted air and water, and wage theft. I have also seen looting in our city, where people are taking from grocery stores and pharmacies because they are starving and our government is failing. Police brutality and pandemic combined have exacerbated hunger in our city. People do not have the necessary items to live. Instead of questioning how people are rioting, ask why are they rioting? Maybe because this country has denied them equality and life for the past 400 years.

Over the last few days I have seen uprisings across the city, participated in one, and been horrified by the militarization of our law enforcement. Across the street from my church, I see at least 50 cops protect the statue of Frank Rizzo, a former mayor and police commissioner who was a racist individual that instigated a violent police attack in 1978. Today, I saw national guard with multiple assault rifles, beat sticks, knives, swat gear, tear gas intimidate and incite violence. In West Philly, they tear gassed and shot rubber bullets at residents.

At one intersection, an individual was crossing and bumped into a police officer. Immediately 30 officers were surrounding him. 30 police on one individual who had done nothing malicious. Do you see where our system has a problem? Black lives do not matter to our government. But Black Lives Matter to me and they should to you. We all have a part to play white folx. We can be allies, using our privilege on social media to speak out and educate fellow white folx, to donate to local and national bail bonds, and to bring about change.

A pertinent solution? Vote in our primaries and vote Trump out in November. He has tweeted "if they start looting we start shooting", this president has endorsed shooting citizens of this country. He is a white supremacist, a bona fide racist, and it is our duty to vote him out.

No Justice No Peace.

Dear White Folx,

Black Lives Matter.