In preparation for an Episode by Ears for East that is centered around the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing riots with the United States, written below are some of the thinking that I’ve done on the subject
Question #1: Why do you think that the incident in Central Park between Amy Cooper and Christian Cooper is important to the narrative of what came after – the killing of George Floyd and the protests?
I first heard about the encounter involving Amy Cooper and Christian Cooper through a New York Times article on the subject, but really, it wasn’t until watching the actual video itself that the gravity of the situation … of what had just unfolded, truly hit me.
I think, especially from the perspective of someone living in Singapore (which is akin to living inside of a bubble), you get de-sensitized to stories of racism from around the world … because there’s this layer of abstraction right? I mean, you can see a story of police brutality unfolding in the United States, and while you may sympathize, it’s perhaps difficult to see yourself in that situation (empathize).
Well, the video recording especially blows that layer of abstraction right off, because suddenly, as opposed to seeing it through the tinted lens of news articles or television broadcasts, we see it directly through the lens of Christian Cooper himself, and suddenly, the implications are terrifying. The inherent power structure in society is fully displayed there, and I think just imagine what would have happened if Christian Cooper hadn’t been recording …
Now, when you couple this with the murder of George Floyd, another incident where a video recording has taken demonstrates, with absolute clarity, the inexcusable actions taken by individuals against the African American community, you start to gain a little insight into the reasons why the riots are in fact happening
Question #4: What is the point of the subsequent protests?
I think that there are arguments out there against the protests taking place at ALL, with common reasons cited being that they won’t achieve any long-term change and that they endanger further individuals due to the pandemic.
I … I don’t agree with that viewpoint, and I think Trevor Noah has succinctly summarised my main arguments for me. As he states, and I’m paraphrasing here, within any civilized society, there needs to exist a social contract, a set of rules and norms to be followed. The African-American community has been upholding their side of the social contract, within the United States, for decades and yet … the same cannot be stated of the organizations, the institutions, on the other side.
When there’s the sort of systematic injustice, inequality within a society, I’d argue that it’s deeply flawed … and fixing it takes priority. Yes, gathering and protesting on the streets undoubtedly will increase COVID-19 cases within the US, and yet, I don’t believe it should be given precedence.
Then there’s the argument that these protests won’t achieve any long term change. Once again, I disagree. Historical protests like the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 for instance forced the Kennedy administration to initiate a federal civil rights bill in Congress (Stanford University). Already I’m seeing the protests bring up previously buried cases of police brutality, with tens of hundreds of petitions to seek out justice (i.e. Breonna Taylor). Civil rights organizations are pushing for institutional reform. The protests serve to voice the frustration of the people, and hopefully, bring about concrete change.
Question #7: Why do you think that these events in the US are gaining so much attention outside of the US?
The same issue, perhaps to a lesser extent in some situations, exists worldwide … and the protests embody the thoughts/perspectives of many individuals and communities around the world.
There have been dozens of protests the world over, all presenting opportunities for disenfranchised individuals and communities around the world to make their voices heard. I’ve been reading several articles about the protests in Australia actually, where the indigenous communities have often been on the receiving end of police brutality.
There was an article just today, the 5th of June, about the upcoming weekend, with thousands of individuals prepared to gather to protest.
Yeah
