Fuck "Unity." Give Us Justice.

Yeah, this afternoon in Shelbyville there was a "unity rally."  The liberal white folks were so glad that it was organized by a black kid who never once referred to structural racism or injustice or a long-overdue promissory note still awaiting payment. His pastor must be so proud.

No, they could go to the "unity rally" with their black friends from the NAACP without fear they might have to confront actual injustice and instead pretend that if we all just prayed and were nice to each other racism would disappear.

I wasn't there for reasons of it would make me puke but I am quite sure that the phrase "All Lives Matter" was spoken with deep reverence more than once and "Black Lives Matter" was not.

As far as I can tell, "All Lives Matter" is a euphemism for "Only White Lives Matter," but PZ Myers has a more nuanced view:

Saying all lives matter is not racist. Trying to deny the reality of racism against minorities by drowning out their specific concerns with platitudes is.

Or, via Erik Loomis at LGM:

Stacey Patton convincingly argues that Hillary Clinton speech about racial unity was wrongheaded.

Beyond that, Clinton’s call for everyone to “do the work” to unite against hatred overlooks the fundamental fact that it’s whites — and only whites — who must work to fix the racist structures in our society.
…

To quote another historical figure, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “The thing wrong with America is white racism. … It’s time for America to have an intensified study on what’s wrong with white folks.” Clinton could have spoken about racial justice.

Instead, like so many others, she focused on the rhetoric of unity. And calling for unity places yet another burden on black people.

Look at what happens in the wake of a shooting by police like the ones last week in Minnesota and Louisiana and Texas: The relatives of the victims are clearly grieving and traumatized, yet they are pushed to extend empathy and forgiveness to those who killed their loved ones, and to the system that profits from these tragedies. Routinely now, we encounter scenes of black folks hugging racists, praying with and dancing with police officers, being asked to do the additional work of teaching white folks how not to be racist and help them find solutions to a racist system we didn’t invent — while we struggle to keep ourselves and our loved ones alive.

Talk of unity, reconciliation and restoring trust is a diversion from the raw, ugly, excruciatingly painful work of addressing the systemic racism that is tearing our nation apart. In their rush to avoid the real work in favor of a kumbaya fantasy comfort zone, they refuse to confront history and the truth about present moment.

Justice, motherfuckers.  Then we'll talk about unity.