Black Lives Matter in San Leandro

Some of you may have noticed today in San Leandro that along Parrot Street, between E. 14th and Hays, are some giant letters spelling out an important message:

Black Lives Matter.

This effort was undertaken by local residents, activists, and organizers in order to highlight the need for racial justice in our community. Indeed, many of our elected officials were spotted participating, glad-handing, taking photos, and canvassing. Whether for themselves or because they truly believe that Black lives matter is unclear.

Because, see, in the days and weeks prior to this, they have seemed more interested in delaying, obfuscating, and actively preventing justice from being carried out in the murder of Steven Taylor. (And the assault of Emerald Black, and previous acts of murder and brutality against BIPOC residents by SLPD, and regular abuse against our homeless population, and local animals mistreated by our officers rather saved by trained animal control agents, but I digress).

True, the city council voted to "allow" us to put this message up. But are they now co-opting, subverting, and patting themselves on the back for it? Can they say that they believe Black lives matter while they refuse to:

1. Release the name of the officer who murdered Steven Taylor.

2. Release the name of the officer who tasered Steven Taylor after he was fatally shot.

3. Call for the firing of both of those officers.

4. Send a properly worded request to the California Attorney General for an independent investigation into the case.

5. Listening to residents across the city pleading to defund the police in order to support critical social services in our community (that actually do more to reduce crime than guns, tear gas, grenades, and a tank) and taking meaningful, prompt action in response.

6. Committing to refusing campaign donations and/or endorsements from law enforcement organizations, which do more work protecting bad cops than training better ones.

7. Just sitting down and having a conversation with or apologizing to the Taylor family, to all of the families, to any of the families of those who lost a loved one from a police officer sworn to serve and protect us.

This list is not comprehensive. There are literally dozens of things they could be doing, but instead they have been dissembling with attempts to setup task forces easily filled with favorites, weighed down by more members than capable of acting in concert, whose recommendations could be ignored and forgotten months later when the outrage has died down amidst the piling deaths of this pandemic.

That said, the words are now painted on our streets. The message that Black Lives Matter has been inked on the body of our community and the question remains:

Do you mean it? Do we mean it? Do they mean it?

Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!

Don't just walk across those letters in yellow, green, orange, red, blue, and purple, and forget. We're not done here. This isn't a start. This isn't even a step. Justice for Steven Taylor would be a start. The names of his killers would be a step.

I know, there's so much going on every day and, really, what's wrong with an answer that's easier? When is enough enough for all these people protesting? Can't we just focus on the future and stop dwelling on the past? Our police aren't that bad anyways right? Also, what about the rioting, the looting, the fireworks, the encampments?

I know, apathy. I know, property instead of people's lives. I know, the past is present, always with us. I know, how little we're told about how much we're owed. I know, justice delayed is justice denied and can we stop talking about it because it's depressing.

I know. I truly do. But this problem isn't going to go away. Police brutality isn't going to go away. Racism isn't just going to go away. If it were, it would've generations ago. People are still suffering. People are still dying. People are still profiting. People are still pretending that everything is fine despite all the evidence to the contrary. (See my previous posts if you need that info.)

So, please, start and don't stop asking:

Black lives matter, now do something about it.