When Juries Cannot See Black People as Human

Last updated on: June 23, 2017 at 11:25 am by Andre E. Johnson

When Juries Cannot See Black People as Human 2017-06-23T11:25:26-05:00 Andre E. Johnson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Today a jury in Minnesota (not Mississippi or Memphis) acquitted former officer Jeronimo Yanez in the murder of Philando Castile. You may remember this shooting (I know, there have been so many). It was the one where Diamond Reynolds, Castile’s fiance, live-streamed his death on Facebook. Despite the many accounts that said that Castile followed Officer Yanez’s instructions, he still shot Castile seven times. Immediately after murdering him and despite Reynolds recording the incident, when asked why did he shoot, he remarked, “I don’t know.” Furthermore, despite all of this evidence, despite the finding that police had pulled Castile over forty-six times from the time he started driving at 19 until Yanez murdered him at 32, the jury could not see past Castile’s “preconceived criminalized blackness” to convict Yanez at least with manslaughter. I mean, juries are supposed to be made up of the people; us. When we cannot see black people as human…….

Instead of writing something myself, (I mean, what else can be said), I thought I would share the words of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner who lived during the 19th century. If any of this sounds familiar, that should be a problem, but for most folks; especially juries, I guess it is not. Oh well, I will just say that this will continue to happen until we start to believe black truth and juries start to see black people as human.

“I have absolutely no interest in the issues of this bloody, lynching nation, with its brutal supreme court in Washington City issuing decisions against my race which were never dreamed of in hell. I care but little whether the republican or democratic party is successful. Neither of them care anything about the Negro, for the representatives of neither party in that miserable conclave known as the United States congress ever opened their mouths about the way my race is butchered, shot and burnt without law or civil rule. This rotten country has no business being a nation anyway. It is an organized mob from Maine to Texas. Those who do not participate in the lawless murders, Jim Crow car discriminations and every other devilment against my race, stand by and say ‘well done’ by their silence. The people of England are the only ones who can open their mouths about the ‘mob-ocracy’ of this sham nation. I would welcome no information unless it be concerning the reformation or extermination of this bloody-handed country—north and south alike—for one is as guilty as the other.-July 18, 1896

The Negro has no flag to defend. There is not a star in the flag of this nation, out of the forty odd, that the colored race can claim, nor is there any symbol signalized in the colors of the flag that he can presume to call his, unless it would be the stripes, and the stripes are now too good for him. He is only regarded as entitled to powder and lead and the burning fagots. He has no civil, social, political, judicial or existing rights any longer. He may exist, be or live till the lynchers say he must die, and when they get ready to demand his life, the nation, from the President down, down and down to the most contemptible white riff-raff, says well done!-May, 1899

If the colored man meets in convention he is bound to speak to please the white people of his community, particularly if he is a politician, school teacher or employed in any respect so as to bring him in contact with the whites. Laws may pass forbidding us of sleeping cars or any other privilege and nothing is said or done about it, and we tamely submit to it and talk about God bringing better times. God helps nobody that do not try to help themselves, and this we are not trying to do and never will while we are under the grinding wheel of white people. As for the colored of the north realizing our condition, is next to impossibility. They are as scared of the white folks as we who live in the south and will speak and write in favor of them, no matter how cruel they act. I have come to the conclusion that this generation of black scullions will never be anything while the world stands, and as long as we have such papers as yours we are bound to be nothing.-May 1900

To learn more about Bishop Turner, check out the Henry McNeal Turner Project.

Andre E. Johnson is the Founder and Managing Editor of R3

Donate to the Work of R3

Like the work we do at Rhetoric Race and Religion? Please consider helping us continue to do this work. All donations are tax-deductible through Gifts of Life Ministries/G’Life Outreach, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and our fiscal sponsor. Any donation helps. Just click here to support our work.

Previous Post

June 15, 2017

Call for Papers: Race, Religion, and Black Lives Matter

Next Post

June 21, 2017 A Theology of Prayer - The Language of the Humble

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Steele Andre E. Johnson Book Reviews/Series Brian Foulks Call for Chapters Carol Howard Merritt Classes Conferences Contributors Crystal St.Marie Lewis Daniel White Hodge Earle Fisher Eulogy Fredrick Robinson Guest Contributions Henry McNeal Turner Institutes Interviews Joseph Boston Katherine Whitfield Kimberly Peeler-Ringer Lectures/Roundtables Natalie Bullock Brown R3 Book Series R3 Contributor Rashad Grove Readers Reflections Symposiums Teaching Traci Ellis Travis Harris Uncategorized Video

Select a Month June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz