I'm from Detroit. I created Detroit Diaspora and am a National Campaign Director at MoveOn.org. I currently live in Washington, DC with my beautiful wife Ellen.
After graduating with degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Michigan, I became a Software Engineer at Microsoft. By day, I helped build SharePoint into the fastest growth product in the company's history. On my personal time, I sought out opportunities to connect my technical skills with community building efforts across the country.
This led to my co-founding The SuperSpade: Black Thought at the Highest Level, a leading Black political blog. I served as Social Media Manager for the 2008 Obama campaign in Washington, and then became Director of New Media at the Center for Community Change.
Today I work at the crossroads of traditional political organizing and online activism. I speak before diverse audiences on empowerment in revolutionary new organizing spaces, increasing civic engagement & participation though emerging technologies and protecting civil rights in the age of the Internet.
8 Responses to “Why are people so afraid of Black men who think?”
Non super white woman says :
This video made me cry. I couldn’t even watch all of it.
No one is safe. I have called my congressman but I feel so powerless. My prayers are with Rev. Yearwood.
Garlin, seeing stuff like this makes me want to get arrested. I don’t mean that in some romantic sense but with a deep-seated anger that is born from Rev Yearwood, Genarlow Wilson, Jena 6, my ancestors that were slaves in this country, and all the Black folks that are one heartbeat from having the weight of America’s injustice on their shoulders.
Like Marcus Garvey said, “Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.”
Okay Garlin, WTF? I have no words for this. He was waiting in line?! Just standing around, being Black, waiting in line?! And we’re supposed to believe that ‘race doesn’t matter’?! This makes me sick to my stomach. Aside from all the arrest brings to pass, they broke his leg. I guess that’s what can happen if one “fits the description”.
Pissed.
Aside from being afriad of Black men who think, there is some twisted, sick-minded supremecy on the part of the privilaged. He did it because he could do it. We could list of all Bush’s war crimes, and in light of everything his administration has done, I’m sure having someone get their leg broke here and there is like picking a flower for George; completely insignificant. Why aren’t people as outraged by this as they were with dog fighting? Where’s the sense in that?
But Cindy Sheehan was reported on atleast, whereas I have yet to see this in any major news outlet (although that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been). Now she is a more well known figure to popular media, but this is more serious than her arrest that same day– this is a violent response. Another piece of context to this story for those who don’t know, Rev Yearwood JUST beat a rediculous case over his discharge from the Air Force Reserve as a ‘risk’ to national security. It seems like the covert is becoming more overt exponentially everyday between this, the Univ. of MD noose, the Jena 6, the WV torture case, and the White Vigilantes post Katrina just to name a few. One thing that comes to mind for me is how will we address the covert products of racism in our attempt to discuss the overt displays like this one so we don’t just end right back where we’ve been?
THERE IS A VERY DANGEROUS CLIMATE IN THIS COUNTRY. IT SMELLS OF CONFORMITY AND APATHY. IS THIS THIRD REICH GERMANY? THE VIDEO OF REV YEARWOODS ARREST IS JUST MUST SEE TV FOR A COUNTRY THAT GETS CELEBRITY WORSHIP 24/7.
MY POINT IS, WHO’S WATCHING? THIS WON’T EVEN MAKE THE NEWS. SAD TO SAY.
I have contacted (both by phone and email) Speaker Pelosi’s office and asked if this behavior is within the guidelines of behavior for the Capitol Police. If it is thse guidelines need to be changed, if it s not, these officers need to be disciplined. The Speaker’s office has not seen fit to comment on this issue, the person I spoke to was very disdainful, I could just see her rolling her eyes. More folks need to hammer Pelosi on this, until she has to comment.
Meanwhile, I hope Rev. Yearwood sues the pants off all these fascist thugs.
This video made me cry. I couldn’t even watch all of it.
No one is safe. I have called my congressman but I feel so powerless. My prayers are with Rev. Yearwood.
Garlin, seeing stuff like this makes me want to get arrested. I don’t mean that in some romantic sense but with a deep-seated anger that is born from Rev Yearwood, Genarlow Wilson, Jena 6, my ancestors that were slaves in this country, and all the Black folks that are one heartbeat from having the weight of America’s injustice on their shoulders.
Like Marcus Garvey said, “Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.”
Okay Garlin, WTF? I have no words for this. He was waiting in line?! Just standing around, being Black, waiting in line?! And we’re supposed to believe that ‘race doesn’t matter’?! This makes me sick to my stomach. Aside from all the arrest brings to pass, they broke his leg. I guess that’s what can happen if one “fits the description”.
Pissed.
Aside from being afriad of Black men who think, there is some twisted, sick-minded supremecy on the part of the privilaged. He did it because he could do it. We could list of all Bush’s war crimes, and in light of everything his administration has done, I’m sure having someone get their leg broke here and there is like picking a flower for George; completely insignificant. Why aren’t people as outraged by this as they were with dog fighting? Where’s the sense in that?
Sakara,
The reason that there is less outrage here than there was for the dogs is because animals have more people working for their rights in this country than Black men do. That’s f’d up.
However, it is true that there was relatively little outrage when Cindy Sheehan got the boot from the State of the Union address too.
I guess people think it’s OK for the president to not look at people who disagree with him.
One Love. One II.
But Cindy Sheehan was reported on atleast, whereas I have yet to see this in any major news outlet (although that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been). Now she is a more well known figure to popular media, but this is more serious than her arrest that same day– this is a violent response. Another piece of context to this story for those who don’t know, Rev Yearwood JUST beat a rediculous case over his discharge from the Air Force Reserve as a ‘risk’ to national security. It seems like the covert is becoming more overt exponentially everyday between this, the Univ. of MD noose, the Jena 6, the WV torture case, and the White Vigilantes post Katrina just to name a few. One thing that comes to mind for me is how will we address the covert products of racism in our attempt to discuss the overt displays like this one so we don’t just end right back where we’ve been?
THERE IS A VERY DANGEROUS CLIMATE IN THIS COUNTRY. IT SMELLS OF CONFORMITY AND APATHY. IS THIS THIRD REICH GERMANY? THE VIDEO OF REV YEARWOODS ARREST IS JUST MUST SEE TV FOR A COUNTRY THAT GETS CELEBRITY WORSHIP 24/7.
MY POINT IS, WHO’S WATCHING? THIS WON’T EVEN MAKE THE NEWS. SAD TO SAY.
THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TIME, INDEED.
I have contacted (both by phone and email) Speaker Pelosi’s office and asked if this behavior is within the guidelines of behavior for the Capitol Police. If it is thse guidelines need to be changed, if it s not, these officers need to be disciplined. The Speaker’s office has not seen fit to comment on this issue, the person I spoke to was very disdainful, I could just see her rolling her eyes. More folks need to hammer Pelosi on this, until she has to comment.
Meanwhile, I hope Rev. Yearwood sues the pants off all these fascist thugs.