Protesters with Enough Is Enough marching over the West 7th Bridge. Photo credit: Edward Brown

Two weeks of covering the protests for a local newspaper have taught me that protests are physically grueling and mentally straining for every party involved. Early on, one question I repeatedly read online was, “What do they want?” The national movement is not just about Floyd, I’ve learned, although his murder sparked the social unrest.

The protesters have made their demands clear, and their calls for reform touch on criminal justice reform, economic justice, government transparency and accountability, and a host of civil rights issues.

Several moments of the protests have stuck with me. On the eleventh day, around 100 protesters sat on West 7th Street for an eight minute and 46 seconds moment of silence as one organizer addressed the crowd.

“Imagine dying slowly at the hands of an institution that is supposed to protect you,” she said.

Protesters sit for more than eight minutes to remember the death of George Floyd. Photo credit: Edward Brown

Days earlier while sitting under a shaded patch of grass near the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial, I overheard a youngish white male Facetiming a friend. Even with only one side of the conversation audible, I caught the gist of the debate over “all lives matter.”

“I understand that all lives matter,” the young man explained. “But right now, Black lives matter just a little more.”

The slogan “All Lives Matter” is not a rebuke of the Black Lives Matter movement but rather an admission that many people in our society are unable or unwilling to understand that this country’s core economic and political institutions were and continue to be founded on discrimination, sexism, and racism.

The idea that Black lives matter remains a radical notion in this country. When tasked with counting enslaved Black Americans, our founding fathers settled on the Three-Fifths Compromise in 1787, which counted Black men as three-fifths of a human being for electoral purposes. The practice of tipping began as a solution for white business owners who did not want to pay freed slaves for their labor.

As protesters have taken to flooding downtown restaurants with protesters, Fort Worth police department has stepped up intervention efforts. Photo credit: Edward Brown

The passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 protected homeowners and renters from discrimination based on race, but the act did not stop realtors from straying Black men and women away from white neighborhoods. The Federal Housing Administration refused to provide government-backed mortgage insurance near Black communities. The practice, known as redlining, was made illegal in the 1970s.

TCU history professor Max Krochmal recently interviewed an elderly Lloyd Austin who moved into the Riverside area only to witness a mob assemble to keep him from moving in. House bombings, mob violence, and cross burnings were used by white Fort Worthians to intimidate or try to kill local Black residents in the 1940s and 1950s, Krochmal said.

Lucid Shinobi (left) believes that racism will never end, but state-sanctioned oppression can be stopped. Photo credit: Edward Brown

When I asked protest leader Lucid Shinobi, a young Black man, about his hopes for ending racism, he said racism will never end. His aim is to stop state-sanctioned discrimination and oppression. The protest groups have shown signs of infighting from time to time, and their tactics have recently included the uninvited packing of restaurants with chants of, “F*** your peace!” The aggressive tactics have led to accusations that the protesters are bullies and agitators.

The protesters are aware of the alarm and distress caused by their actions. Feelings of unease are a daily feature of life as a Black man or woman, many of the protesters have said publicly. Each day, protesters arrive at the Tarrant County Courthouse unsure of what the police response will be. Each day, heavily armed police officers arrive unsure of what the protesters’ plans will be.

The most common refrain I hear from Black protesters is that they are tired. There is a collective awareness that rights in this country have to be fought for if you are a person of color. The Black Lives Matter movement in Fort Worth embraces other marginalized groups, including individuals from the LGBTQ and Latinx communities. Nobody knows how the protests will end. The leaders have made their intentions clear, though. The marches and economic disruptions will continue indefinitely until Fort Worth leaders agree to a wide range of reforms that show that Black lives truly matter.

Edward Brown is a writing tutor and piano teacher. He is also an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and volunteers for numerous Fort Worth nonprofits. He has spent the last two weeks walking and talking with the protesters in Fort Worth.

The post An Insider’s View of the Fort Worth Protests first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

While we are working on new stories, here are some of our friends that would love your support and patronage. Some might even want your action. Please reach out to them and see what you can do to make their lives better and help support their causes.

In our 3rd issue of Madeworthy Magazine, we told the story of published author and Jarrel James Salon owner, Sau Le Hudecek.

photo credit: Kim Burnstad

“Set a bit incongruously, or perhaps anachronistically, on the corner lot of two residential streets in an established and affluent neighborhood north of I-30, the Jerrel James Salon caters to the cosmetological needs of many of Fort Worth’s well-heeled citizens. As I drive through quiet, well-lit streets on my way to meet Sau Le Hudecek, the owner of the salon, I pass pretty houses with manicured lawns and shiny new SUVs and sedans in the driveways. I am struck again by the shocking first sentence of Sau’s new book, The Rebirth of Hope, published by TCU Press:

‘When I was six years old, the night before school started, my sister was killed by a land mine.'”

Full story: HERE

In that same issue, we published a story about A.L. “Drew” Thomas of Drew’s Place.

photo by Jocelyn Tatum

“A medium-sized green, plastic trashcan sits zip-tied to a section of railing on Merrick Street in the Como neighborhood. It reads, ‘TRASH. Keep Como Clean,’ in black Sharpie. On the day I visited, it has a fresh garbage bag inside filled halfway with newly-accumulated soda cans and napkins. A serene lake and wildlife area surrounded by old homes, some restored and some sagging, lie just beyond the trashcan with its plea.”

Read the full story: HERE 

We featured Tareka Lofton of Loft22 Cakes on the Cover of our Nov/Dec 2018 issue.

photo credit: Beth McElhannon Photography

“First and foremost, Tareka Lofton of Loft22 Cakes is an artist. Sitting in her bakery located on Daggett Street, her work on the wall is one of the first things that she points out. ‘See that watercolor over there, that’s my work.’ I cannot help but be impressed. The work is eye-catching. Yet, it is not the only work of art in the room. Not too far away, several dozen colorful cakes and cupcakes are displayed in a refrigerated case next to the cash register.  She takes a look around the room as we talk. She seems to be in her sweet spot. If her innate artistic talent is what so beautifully and distinctively colors her work, most certainly the secret ingredient that flavors her cakes and pastries so well is grit. Pure grit.”

Read the full article: HERE

In that same issue, we featured Melvin Robinson of Doughboy Donuts.

Photos by Rory Balkin

“The first time I met him, he was covered in sweat in the Texas heat. In his hands, he carried a large box of treats. He was delivering donuts to Texas Christian University – some covered in Fruity Pebbles, and others flavored with “sriracha bacon.”I was working at TCU that summer. We were planning an event, and Melvin Roberson came to give us a taste test from his up-and-coming donut food truck. When he opened the boxes, we stared in awe at the gorgeous donuts and with unique flavors. I thought of all the sweets lovers I knew and took a picture to send to my family.”

Read the full story: HERE 

In our Nov/Dec 2019 issue, we published a story about Ernestine Edmond, owner of Mama E’s BBQ and Home Cooking.

photo credit: Reverie Photo Co.

“Driving down Rosedale Avenue, past Torchy’s Tacos and the hospital district, I spot a small brick building with barred windows and a large sign boasting ‘Mama E’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking.’ I pull into the gravel parking lot and make my way inside. Three women stand behind the counter, slicing brisket, buttering buns and pulling fresh, homemade pastries out of the oven. The oldest is a small woman standing just over five feet, with a smile as bright as the sun. She walks out of the kitchen through a side door covered in children’s art and hugs me.”

Read the full story: HERE 

These are just some of the stories we have shared over the years, and we will continue being advocates of Black Lives Matter and our city’s minority- and black-owned businesses. In our next blog, we will highlight some of the organizations that are making a difference in Fort Worth and how you can get involved.

The post Black Lives Matter first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.