The American tragedy: when black anger lashes out at the labour movement
A relative of mine in Seattle has suggested that I blog about the death of African-American George Floyd and the resultant protests and rioting. I hesitated because I’m aware of being British and of my white privilege.
But an American friend of mine on Facebook has posted photographs of the Washington DC headquarters of the AFL-CIO – the equivalent of the Trades Union Congress in Britain – which has been trashed by rioters in the city. Now I was a professional trade union official for 24 years and, on one of my visits to the US, I visited the AFL-CIO building, so the images spoke to me.
Of course, the protestors probably didn’t specifically target the building. It is in downtown Washington DC and it was perhaps seen as a symbol of the establishment. But the American labour movement supports the Black Lives Matter movement. The AFL-CIO tweeted: “The Labor Movement is much more than a building. We’ve said it before and will will say it again: Black Lives Matter.”
The murder of George Floyd – for that is what it was – is just the latest in a long line of incidents in which unarmed black men have been killed by white police officers. It comes on top of centuries of racial discrimination and disadvantage in the United States. It comes at a time when over 100,000 have died from the coronavirus and some 40 million have been made unemployed as a result of the pandemic.
All these problems exist in Britain and many other countries, but the United States is especially blighted by its poor coverage of health provision, its weak social security entitlements, its small trade union movement, its flawed system of political representation, and – perhaps above all just now – its appalling political leadership.
There are no quick or easy answers but, if the Democratic Party does not take back the Presidency (and hopefully the Senate) in November, black lives, Latino lives, poor lives, LGBT lives, and many other lives will not matter.
June 2nd, 2020 at 12:59 pm
Thanks for your comment on this Roger and your concise analysis.
I agree with you especially the current “appalling political leadership” (brilliant expression).
At time’s like this I am glad I do not live in the USA – although rationally I know that a few police officers do not represent society as a whole.
I just wish cooler heads will prevail eventually and some positive change can come out of this. It is just very unfortunate that it comes amid a global pandemic.
The USA is so strange – out of this country comes amazing technological achievements and giant tech companies yet on the other hand there seems to be basic things for people that we take for granted in other countries.
June 2nd, 2020 at 1:35 pm
NOV. 3–Liberation Day
June 7th, 2020 at 11:30 am
Hello Roger
Thank you for this post.
Just to say – it’s not only Black men (including trans men eg Tony Mcdade) being killed, but also children (eg Tamir Rice, Aiyanna Jones) and women (Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor).
Greetings from Berlin!
Sharon
June 7th, 2020 at 12:23 pm
Absolutely rght, Sharon.
Good to hear from you after so long. Hope that you’re keeping safe and well.
June 7th, 2020 at 9:41 pm
The line about appalling political leadership is right on the money. The most influential writing circulating in the states now is Ann Applebaum’s wonderful article
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/07/trumps-collaborators/612250/
The title of the article is “History will Judge the complicit” is a brilliant piece of writing and Analysis That slices and dices the Republican Party and their moral decay. In many ways, the moment feels like fall of the Berlin Wall. The other notable thing that has happened is this a revolt of a multi-racial youth movement. Institutions are being shaken to their core the Philadelphia Inquirer and the NYT ,whose op-Ed editor just resigned after the Cotton Affair. (What could go wrong a southern senator named Cotton writing about the insurrection
act )
Unfortunately, I am out of circulation because of age and ethnicity my children have asked me to stay home. They have both taken to the streets to protest for change and in my daughter’s case to represent protesters.