On The Vine: Will Smith and the consummate Black fallacy
I didn’t want to add to the discourse around Will Smith, Chris Rock and the Oscars. I didn’t want this newsletter to be dedicated to that. It’s not necessarily that this is a “I’m not Black, I’m O.J.” moment, but I’m bemused — not surprised — that narratives surrounding the incident have latched onto: Look at that Black man.
It goes without saying, but if any of the who, why, how and where of this were different we’d give this little more consideration than below the fold of the gossip blogs.
However, it was Will Smith (the consummate Black man) smacking Chris Rock on live TV at The Academy Awards.
What Will Smith did was wrong. Hands down. But I don’t think of him any less. I don’t think it tarnishes the light he’s brought into the world. It seemed more than anything a personal, vulnerable and emotionally complicated response that because of the nature of who those two men are and the space as celebrities they, plus Jada Pinkett-Smith, occupy, played out on a public stage.
That’s something not many of us will ever relate to.
Will Smith didn’t embarrass me as a Black man. He embarrassed himself and Chris Rock. Should he have handle himself better; chosen a different course of action? Of course! But not because he’s Black. He assaulted a man on live TV y’all. If the narrative you’re engaging in is that he perpetrated a poor perception of Black people, men in particular, then you should really be analyzing your own perceptions.
Now it’s of course complicated and nuanced because the fact that people carry negative perceptions of Black men and anger — control — is simply a fact. But it should not be our job to single-handedly change those people’s perception.
The false equivalences of Will Smith losing himself in that moment and Ketanji Brown-Jackson composing herself during the Senate confirmation hearings are based in a racist ideology. The two are not the same.
What happened Sunday between Chris Rock and Will Smith was troubling and personal — something that happens among family at the barbecue — it’s just unfortunate it happened on Hollywood’s and Will Smith’s biggest night, and we were all there to witness it.
Let’s move on, shall we.
Around the block
.JPG "KCM_KCPDDavis443F031522JAT (1).JPG")
Racism in the KCPD: There’s no thin blue line for Black officers, Star investigation finds
From The Star’s Glenn Rice, Luke Nozicka and Katie Moore:
In Kansas City, the solidarity behind the thin blue line does not apply if you are Black, a yearlong investigation by The Star found. The racism festering in the Kansas City Police Department does not spare even its own members, driving many Black officers to leave the force.
One former officer, Scott Wells, said being Black in KCPD was like “being a mouse in a snake cage.”
“You’re constantly watching your back 24/7,” he said.
For many officers, the question lingers: If this is how police treat their own, what chance does a regular Black citizen have?
Twenty-five current and former Black officers of various ranks told their own stories of discrimination, racist abuse and a system that forces Black officers out of the department on flimsy pretexts while keeping the upper leadership mostly white. Their accounts are backed up by scores of department emails, internal police memos, legal documents, lawsuits and video.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was investigating why the number of Black officers in the KCPD was lower than expected. But the agency never released any results and declined to comment on its findings.
Thirteen years later, The Star’s investigation shows one major reason for the lack of Black officers: rampant racism inside the department.
More from the investigation...
He was a detective with the KCPD. And he still got pulled over for driving while Black
‘Derogatory and discriminatory comments’: Read the lawsuit filed by former KCPD officer
KCPD Chief Rick Smith knelt in honor of George Floyd. Then he said he didn’t mean it
Too few KCPD homicide detectives are Black. Families of victims say that must change
Here’s where Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ students can find help in the face of discrimination
March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility so we’re promoting this story again for LGBTQ+ students in and around Kansas City in need of support.
The Star’s Natalie Wallington, fearless friend of the newsletter, writes:
Students in some Kansas City area schools have been noticing a disturbing trend: comments or incidents that negatively target members of the LGBTQ+ community. Monday night, Kansas City’s LGBTQ Commission held an emergency meeting to discuss this issue, which includes five incidents in the past few weeks alone.
”Young people need to know that there are services available to them if they need it, and that it does get better,” said Amy Gray, assistant executive director of the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “There are people in the community working really hard to make it better.”
Beyond the block
Biden honors Transgender Day of Visibility: “Your President sees you”
President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a proclamation honoring March 31 Transgender Day of Visibility.
To everyone celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility, I want you to know that your President sees you. The First Lady, the Vice President, the Second Gentleman, and my entire Administration see you for who you are — made in the image of God and deserving of dignity, respect, and support. On this day and every day, we recognize the resilience, strength, and joy of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people. We celebrate the activism and determination that have fueled the fight for transgender equality. We acknowledge the adversity and discrimination that the transgender community continues to face across our Nation and around the world.
Visibility matters, and so many transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming Americans are thriving...
Despite this progress, transgender Americans continue to face discrimination, harassment, and barriers to opportunity. Transgender women and girls — especially transgender women and girls of color — continue to face epidemic levels of violence, and 2021 marked the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans. Each of these lives lost was precious. Each of them deserved freedom, justice, and joy. We must honor their lives with action by advancing equity and civil rights for all transgender people.
The proclamation comes as a number of conservative states, including Missouri and Kansas, have proposed and passed anti-trans legislation targeting transgender youth.
For the culture
Academy initiates ‘disciplinary proceedings’ against Will Smith over Oscars incident
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is preparing to take disciplinary action against Will Smith for his behavior at the 94th Oscars on Sunday. Disciplinary options at the board’s disposal likely include, but are not limited to, asking him to return the award, removing him from The Academy and/or barring him from future awards ceremonies.
May I remind quickly that Harvey Weinstein still has his Oscars, Roman Polanski was awarded an Oscar while on the lam, and Mel Gibson is still a member of The Academy... just to mention a few.
I only bring this up again though as a means to present to you all some more “takes” — some of which I actively disagree with — that have made their way out into the world in the aftermath.
More on Will Smith...
Just vibe
Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can sign-up here. If you’d prefer to unsubscribe from this newsletter, you can do so at any time using the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this message.