You Need to Read Talib Kweli’s Response to the Oregon Occupation

By Sameer Rao Jan 05, 2016

It’s no secret that the state—especially law enforcment—often holds White people to very different standards than Black people doing far-tamer things. Legendary rapper and activist Talib Kweli has a message for those who think otherwise. 

Kweli posted a picture to Facebook and Instagram of armed and riot gear-clad police at Minneapolis’s Mall of America during a Black Lives Matter protest last month. The picture was accompanied by a searing statement, both of which you can see below. It criticizes the discrepancy between how the White armed protesters in Oregon—who have not been besieged by police—and Black protesters are treated by law enforcement:

 

 

When unarmed #blacklivesmatter protesters showed up to peacefully protest at Mall Of America, this is a fraction of the police that showed up, dressed in militarized gear. They secured the fuck out of that escalator. Remember this image as you watch this Oregon protest go down. Those are armed white men who stated clearly that they would use violence. Not unarmed peaceful protesters. So where are the police? Where are the talking heads on the news calling them terrorists. It seems that when armed white men make a stand, police remember their training and focus on deescalation out o respect for life. This land they trying to claim was stolen from Native Americans. This ain’t even a real cause. It’s not about guns or states rights or cattle. It’s about white men realizing their era of privilege is ending. And the government is giving them a pass just like they daddy got a pass after pointing guns at police two years ago. Do they have a right to protest? Sure. But so do unarmed black people. See the hypocrisy.

A photo posted by Talib Kweli (@talibkweli) on

 

For those who cannot read the embedded post, the full script of Kweli’s statement reads as follows: 

When unarmed #blacklivesmatter protesters showed up to peacefully protest at Mall Of America, this is a fraction of the police that showed up, dressed in militarized gear. They secured the fuck out of that escalator. Remember this image as you watch this Oregon protest go down. Those are armed white men who stated clearly that they would use violence. Not unarmed peaceful protesters. So where are the police? Where are the talking heads on the news calling them terrorists. It seems that when armed white men make a stand, police remember their training and focus on deescalation out o respect for life. This land they trying to claim was stolen from Native Americans. This ain’t even a real cause. It’s not about guns or states rights or cattle. It’s about white men realizing their era of privilege is ending. And the government is giving them a pass just like they daddy got a pass after pointing guns at police two years ago. Do they have a right to protest? Sure. But so do unarmed black people. See the hypocrisy.