Lessons learned in the moment

Latest

pt.2015.11.04_oscar
Protest over the killing of Oscar Grant by BART police at the Fruitvale station in Oakland in 2008.
PHOTO/THOMAS HAWK, THOMASHAWK.COM

By Jack Bryson (interviewed by Joyce Mills)

Editor’s note: Jack Bryson is a relative of Oscar Grant who was killed by BART police in Oakland in 2008
OAKLAND, CA — Thinking about lessons I’ve learned over the last eight years and, I ask, “Why do I care and fight so much?” I’ve been labeled an everything you can think of, but basically I’m a young man that knows things aren’t right, and when you know something isn’t right, you stand up against it!
December 31, 2008 was a life-changing experience for me when Oscar (Grant) was murdered at the Fruitvale station by a BART police officer. I was numb. I couldn’t believe it happened to our family. My sons were grieving in a park. Eventually they were joined by hundreds of other people and surrounded by police and helicopters.  People asked me, ‘What are we going to do?” I woke that day to the community’s pain.
I’ve had a lot of friends die or go to prison.  I felt bad, but these were things you just tried to avoid, like being taxed, paying for choices, things you accepted. We would say, “If I go to prison, look out for my family.” When police kill it’s another level. They are supposed to protect and serve, not violate your world.
I went to rallies and marches. I didn’t feel I fit in. I didn’t see my friends there, street folks, like we were from a different world. People used words I had never heard of. I was confused, uncomfortable, but I had to be there, I needed help now.
I said to myself, this is what Frederick Douglas talked about. I was denied a good education, in “special ed” because I wasn’t able to succeed. Can any kid succeed carrying physical and mental abuse, on top of being hungry?  Can a father succeed for that matter, without a job because of skin color or a felony, without a degree. Gentrification. Displacement. People from “ghettos” forced to the suburbs. Suburban people abandoning their communities. Background checks on your affiliations. They consider your community an affiliation!
These things came together in my thinking.  You can’t talk about one thing without talking about all of it. I see Mario Martinez’ family struggling for answers, Sandra Bland’s, Freddie Gray’s, Mike Brown’s, Shawn Bell’s and I know I can help. I wondered, would they do me like they have done to Rev. Pinkney? [Pinkney was imprisoned in Michigan for politically confronting the corporations.] But you stand up, use your voice, and revolutionary ideas just start kicking in. Now I have people who support and believe in me, organizations I honestly consider a shield against anything happening to me.
I made mistakes. I grew. This is about collective understanding and the importance of fighting.  Governments everywhere have their feet on the necks of the poor.  If we get a victory here in Oakland it will help others to stand up.  At one point or another our class will get tired of all this. Others will wake up like I have.  How long can you keep people down?

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Trump’s Immigration Theater Ignores Whose Land ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Is

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma joined Florida tribes in protesting "Alligator Alcatraz. The tribe says it insults their ancestral homeland and threatens ecosystem.

Nearly 80% of Americans Think Immigration is Good, Gallop Poll Shows

The eight-point increase in support for giving immigrants living in the U.S. illegally the chance to become U.S. citizens reflects increased support from all party groups according to Gallop poll.

Why Did Flash Floods in Texas Bring Such Death & Destruction?

Some lives could have been saved with better local warnings in the recent flood in TX, but federal government cuts to FEMA, National Weather Service and NOAA are leaving communities ill-prepared for disasters.

Farmworker in Critical Condition After Fall During California ICE Raid

A farmworker was critically injured during a California ICE raid after he fell from a greenhouse roof where he was hiding.

Winners and Losers in Trump’s ‘Ugly Bill’

Winners and losers: The greatest upward transfer of wealth in U.S. history cut Medicaid, SNAP, and other necessities to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.

More from the People's Tribune