Raging Souls: Milwaukee Black Youth and the Aftermath of COVID-19
Written By, Zion Rogers
Just as every year, on June 19th, thousands of people gathered for a celebration of Black freedom, joy, and peace. But as Milwaukee crowds dispersed towards the end of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, conflict struck outside the doors of Greater Philadelphia Church of God in Christ. Within seconds, shots were fired, and blood was drawn, leaving 6 Black teens lying in the streets of 2nd and MLK Drive. To much dismay, the “perpetrator” also happened to be a Black teen. Fox6 News reported that the judicial court described the young shooter as having “high supervision needs” and being “a risk of physical harm to the community.”
At just 15 years old, several media outlets and city officials demonized this young person in a way that painted him as a classic villain in comic books. And like any typical villain, before entering their villain era, there’s almost always a story or single catalyst event that causes their villainous deeds. In this case, the assumed villain is the young shooter, and as we know, villains are not just born– they are created. So that leaves a burning question– if the so-called villain (the Juneteenth shooter in this scenario) was created, WHAT exactly created him? In other words, what culture, conditions, and systems could have provoked him to commit such an act? And since no event is isolated, meaning this young Black teen shooter is not the only Black teen shooter being blasted by the press, especially in a city like Milwaukee, it left me with another question– How did we get here?
Although I vowed as a student activist and filmmaker to avoid Black “pain porn” narratives, it is both a sad and unfortunate truth that my primary motivation behind curating the youth-led documentary, Raging Souls, stemmed from being a firsthand witness to the incident and aftermath of the events on Juneteenth. In its totality, Raging Souls will provide a raw and in-depth insight into the origins, current culture, pains, and post-pandemic reality of Black youth and young people living in Milwaukee. Although the documentary is being led, shaped, and creatively consulted by a team of credible young people who are living testimonies to this struggle and may generate a level of “shock value” due to its raw nature, this project seeks to avoid narratives that are exploitative of our reality but instead will allow space for young people to share their truths as a catalyst and call for change. With that, the ultimate vision through Raging Souls is to: 1) Provide space for marginalized Black youth to share their experiences and truths relative to the violent, depressive, and turbulent conditions in Milwaukee. 2) To excavate the cultural, educational, spiritual, and carceral systemic factors contributing to Milwaukee's current state. 3) To radically reimagine the potential of what life in Milwaukee COULD BE beyond the current circumstances we are faced with. 4) To highlight the work being done within this city to combat the issues contributing to the youth culture of violence and chaos.
As of now, as writer, director, and producer, I have initiated the pre-production process and conducted several interviews with a handful of these credible young people. One common theme that I have found was that the most pressing reality many of Milwaukee’s Black youth are faced with is the post-COVID condition of “juvenocracy” that is occurring in the streets. For context, the term “juvenocracy" (introduced by scholar Michael Eric Dyson) is defined as an environment where the actions of youth and young people govern and shape the framework of day-to-day life. In the case of Milwaukee, sociocultural issues such as youth gun violence, the Kia Boyz epidemic, and, more recently, the rise of pain-based gang culture [1] have both consumed and destabilized the spirit and functionality of many Black youth and communities.
Hearing them share their authentic truths (many of them have lost friends and loved ones to gun violence, as well as been victims of the educational and carceral systems) has allowed me to shape the vision for Raging Souls and recognize the importance of infusing an Afrofuturist [2] perspective on-screen. With that, to truthfully inform and challenge young people to choose life and light over death and destruction, we must also provide tools to think critically beyond the present reality and allow them to reimagine a life of joy, peace, and ultimately liberation.
As critical thinkers, educators, allies, youth advocates, and policymakers, we are liable to change Black youth's circumstances and reality. There is enough evidence, beyond faulty media coverage to support the idea that we, as Black youth, have been forced to the back burner of society. We have attended enough candlelight vigils and witnessed enough academic failures to back this truth. With that, those who are privy to our reality, and equipped with the necessary skills to combat it, are indeed obligated to be of impact in shifting these inhumane circumstances. To create opportunities for this shift, those of power and privilege must be willing to make space for those committed to doing the necessary work.
[1] Check out this article for more: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10767-020-09392-2
[2] UBUNTU Research and Evaluation believes that afrofuturism is the audacious belief that Black people exist in the future happy, whole, healthy and unencumbered by antiBlackness.