His Name is Sam Sharpe
His name is Sam Sharpe.
He was alive on Sunday.
On Sunday, UBUNTU Research and Evaluation issued a statement that contained the following in regards to the Republican National Convention (RNC) being held in Milwaukee, WI:
The UBUNTU team is acutely aware of how more police presence increases the likelihood of violence against Black people, especially when that same police force is providing services for public figures who see Black people through a lens of criminality. On this occurrence, we, as Black people with other marginalized identities that are queer, trans, femme, and non-binary, are at the most significant threat. Further, we know that the current rhetoric and policy championed and discussed at the RNC incites violence against people like those of us at UBUNTU and our families.
His name is Sam Sharpe.
He was alive Tuesday morning.
On Tuesday afternoon, at 1:15 pm, approximately 5 police officers patrolling beyond the protected security perimeter shot at and eventually killed a Black man.
It took less than 48 hours for our assessment of police violence, Black bodies, and our city to ring true.
“What happens when instead of becoming enraged and shocked every time a Black person is killed in the United States, we recognize Black Death as predictable and constitutive aspect of this democracy? What will happen then if instead of demanding justice we recognize (or at least consider) that the very notion of justice...produces and requires Black exclusion and death as normative?”
“Refusing Blackness as Victimization: Trayvon Martin and the Black Cyborgs”
Joy James and João Costa Vargas, 2012
While there has been blood on our collective hands for the lives lost relating to #palestine #congo #sudan #flint #ferguson #minneapolis #baltimore #sandyhook #losangeles #detroit #memphis -- the blood of Sam Sharpe is on the hands of every elected and appointed official in the city that advocated for the RNC to take place in Milwaukee.
The unnecessary, tragic death of Sam Sharpe, at the hands of police during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, is a grim reminder of the pervasive system of surveillance and control that Black people in the United States endure. This system, entrenched in oppressive historical and institutional practices, consistently dehumanizes Black individuals, treating them as perpetual suspects or threats.
While we face undeniable and widespread violence, it is crucial to recognize the agency, resistance, and resilience of Black communities. Despite the oppressive forces, our communities continue to fight for justice and equality.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 38.6% of Milwaukee residents identify as Black, representing the largest ethnicity in the city. How come, then, the policies, practices, and procedures of our city refuse to demonstrate care and protection for its largest constituency?
The County Executive is the first Black person ever to hold the position.
He stated in an interview “It’s not about red or blue, it’s about ‘green’ and the economic impact.”
The Mayor is the first Black person to be elected to the position.
He was instrumental in bringing the RNC to Milwaukee.
For the first time in our city's history, 8 of the 15 city council members are Black.
There was limited community input on so-called safety measures for the RNC.
Black people holding positions of power within an anti-Black police-supported militarist state do not protect Black lives.
Laws, policing practices, and judicial systems contribute to the systemic oppression of Black communities, creating a cycle of discrimination and brutality that seems unbreakable. These institutions need to dismantle the structures that uphold racism. These institutions are themselves the structures that uphold racism. It’s worth stating again that Milwaukee is home to the United States most incarcerated zip code. The city is structured around Black people’s subjugation as indentured participants in the carceral system and target practice on Black bodies.
The media instigates the demonizing public perceptions of Black individuals. Often, Black people are portrayed as inherently criminal or dangerous, reinforcing and legitimizing the mechanisms of surveillance and control. This portrayal distorts reality and perpetuates harmful stereotypes that further marginalize Black communities.
Understanding contemporary instances of racialized surveillance within a broader historical context is essential. The lineage of anti-Black practices can be traced from slavery to modern times, revealing the persistent and insidious nature of this systemic oppression. Understanding this history is key to comprehending how we got here while naming the depth and complexity of the issues leading to Sam Sharpe's murder.
The murder of Sam Sharpe is not an isolated incident but part of a long history of racialized violence and surveillance in the United States. And as Dr. John Henrik Clarke reminds us, “All history is a current event.”
We express our deepest sympathies to Sam Sharpe's family, friends, and community