Breonna Taylor. I know you all heard the bullshit news that came down today, concerning the charges that were brought against ONE officer, for SHOOTING INTO A NEIGHBORING APARTMENT!!!
WHAT?????
I wanna talk about this shit but I just can't. I ain't got no more. So you know what.......
True story. I saw this post last weekend and been making up for lost time ever since.
Hard to believe, but today marks the 10-year anniversary of my big move. What a ride it has been.
The ups and downs have at times made me question the decision I made, but my biggest fear was also my biggest motivator. Having to throw in the towel and return to Rochester would have felt like my life's greatest failure; not only because it would suggest that I didn't have what it took to make it work, but also because it would bolster the arguments of the naysayers who thought my sudden decision to blow up my life was crazy to begin with. Most people will never know how close to that line I came, but the struggle I'd have to endure turning things around here was far less detrimental to the condition of my spirit than going back would have been. There was never a time when I didn't know that, and I have to imagine that my friends knew it too, because not a single time did any of them suggest I consider going back. I'll always love them for that.
Ten years later, I have a kid in college and another making waves with his media company (and a new single that dropped today on all streaming platforms - go cop that #Ma$e by Young Beamer). Personally and professionally, I've evolved tremendously. Looking forward to new ventures with my newly erected business and on a path to rediscovering myself as mommy duties slowly fade from my plate.
Of all this last decade's lessons, among the most important have been "stay grateful" and "trust the process." When it's all said and done, you can be sure that you were always exactly where you were supposed to be at any given moment. Not that anything is predetermined, but it is all by design - yours. We are the sum total of our choices and we therefore have the power to create whatever world we choose and even change course, if necessary. All up to you.
So... what you gon do?
Yesterday, a bodycam video surfaced displaying an unarmed black man being killed by Rochester, NY police officers, 2 months BEFORE the now infamous George Floyd homicide by officers in Minnesota that set the world on fire. Daniel Prude was mocked and teased by officers while lying handcuffed and naked on March 23, 2020, after his brother called authorities to assist the man, who was said to be having a "mental health episode." The video shows officers placed a hood over Prude's head, knelt in his back and held his face to the pavement for two minutes until he stopped breathing, despite Prude's compliance with all their instructions. Prude died in the hospital a week later, which the family and attorneys alleged was as a result of the incident, causing lack of oxygen to his brain. PCP was later found in Prude's system, however the medical examiner's report seemed to support the family's theory, declaring the death a homicide, as a result of asphyxiation associated with restraint. This is what prompted the DA to refer the case to the AG, which subsequently resulted in an executive order from the Governor for her to do so.
We know this is happening all over America, but it hits a little differently when it happens in a town you spent most of your life in, where you personally know both the Mayor and the Chief of Police, as many there do. I'm upset that this would happen there, but I'm even more frustrated by the ignorance I've seen from some Rochesterians since the release of the video.
It's kind of ironic: many people have been baffled by anyone still denying there is a problem with policing after seeing the George Floyd video. "It's on video, you're not gonna believe something you see happening right before your own eyes?" Still many are overly concerned with what happened prior to what was captured or what was in his criminal background - any excuse to justify what is blatantly obvious. Likewise, many Rochester dwellers flocked to social media to defend the Mayor and COP for their obvious role in this having been kept quiet since March. Some ran to Google and ran right back to their pages to post about Cuomo's order for these types of incidents to be investigated by the AG. Some ran to "clarify" that the video was requested under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) and therefore released BY police and furthermore proves there was no cover up. Some even blamed the family for the city not being aware that this tragedy had taken place.
I swear, I can't stand people.
Cuomo's order was not a gag order. It gives the AG jurisdiction, it doesn't mean city officials can't speak on it. That's evident from the fact that they spoke on it yesterday in response to the video - what they said yesterday, could have been said 5 months ago. Many cases under AG investigation have been disclosed to the public. The city is also not prohibited from conducting an internal investigation on such matters for disciplinary purposes, nor taking temporary disciplinary actions against those involved while it awaits the determination of the investigation. No action has been taken against these officers, to date.
The FOIA REQUIRES information to be released to inquiring parties with standing (as designated by the act). There was no choice in the matter. If there was, dollars to donuts, we STILL wouldn't know that this occurred.
It's also been stated several times that it took the family and their legal team considerable time to secure the footage under the FOIA, which was believed to have been prompted by the release of the medical examiner's report findings. Prior to that was unclear what had actually happened. Keep in mind, this was initially a mental health call.
People clearly see what happened on this video, and can't deny they knew nothing of it prior to it's release. Why didn't you know about it? Why don't you have questions about how this could happen in America's current state of affairs without any mention being made of it, amidst all the other police commentary this Mayor and Police Chief has given over the last few months? Regarding the Mayor, specifically, today's been a bunch of, " I know her and...." No, you don't. It's so annoying how many people will say they know somebody they know only OF, or know peripherally. If y'all ain't broke bread, if she ain't been to the house, if yall ain't worked together, you don't fucken know her. But let's say you're one of a bunch of people who actually do. Why don't you think she could be capable of something untoward? If you really know her, you also know she's 100% capable of doing whatever she needs to do protect her name and career. Keep it a bean - we're ALL capable - but to insist that anyone wouldn't is to attest to a level of integrity that this mayor does not possess. This mayor has been a friend of our family for decades. In fact, my mother mentored her, campaigned with her and went on to become her executive assistant when she was voted into office. She's been to the crib. She's eaten my mama's sweet potato pie. She's called us her sisters. All of that and I wouldn't even claim to know her like I know the people I KNOW. But I do know a lot of the shit she's done while holding that office, and I promise you, you don't want to bet your brand defending hers.
That being said, I'm not here to slander anyone. I'm simply wondering why people continue allowing what they think they know about a person to cloud their judgment when the facts are available for your own consumption. Don't be sheep.
Most of all, stop speaking on shit until you know what you're talking about, and even then, only talk about it TO THE EXTENT that you know what you're talking about. Y'all on Al Gore's internet looking stupid as hell.
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