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One Every 28 Hours WE CHARGE GENOCIDE AGAIN! A Curriculum for Operation Ghetto Storm: Report on the 2012 Extrajudicial Killings of 313 Black People by Police, Security Guards and Vigilantes. ONE EVERY 28 HOURS. Prepared by Tongo Eisen-Martin 1 2 Introduction WE CHARGE GENOCIDE AGAIN is the companion curriculum for the Operation Ghetto Storm: Report on the 2012 Extrajudicial Killings of Black People. The objective of the curriculum is to have teacher-students and student- teachers engage the realities of extrajudicial killing of black people with critical thinking and analysis. In 2012, police summarily executed more than 313 Black people—one every 28 hours. The use of deadly force against Black people is standard practice in the US—woven into the very fabric of society. Through our study of the extra-judicial killing of black people, we can understand the apparatus of repression. The intention is for our study of and action against murderous state sanctioned repres- sion be one tool of a complex of resistance to empire. We encourage teacher- students and student-teachers to use this curriculum as a mal- leable menu. Not all discussion and writing prompts have to be used. Add prompts and text (of all mediums) of your own. Discussion prompts may be used for writing. Writing prompts may be converted to discussion. Writing and discussion prompts may be con- verted to visual art or any other medium of expression. Individual work can all be made collective work. We only recommend that you conform this curriculum to the critical energy of the learning circle for which the curriculum is being facilitated. All we need to achieve as movement educators is to help the people recognize themselves in the material and recognize what they already know in the material. All in order to expand our concept of who we are and what we know. Reading and writing critically (in all mediums) is simply the building of our power of recognition and discovery. Recognition and discovery that we then put into practice. Trust that the people know everything they need to know, and know how to do everything they need to know how to do, to study op- pression and resistance. Through this lens, make this curriculum whatever it needs to be. For more information: tongo_eisen_martin at yahoo.com 3 4 Table of Contents Said the Bullet to the Back. 7 We will define extrajudicial killing as well as it’s function in the maintance of hegemonic power in the United States. At Roll Call. 15 We will analyze the psyche of the police. Further we will analyze the racist and violent culture, philosphy, and socioeconomic mandate from which that psyche flows. The Empire’s Culture, The Empire’s Imagination. 20 The United States cannot commit genocide without mass consent. We will analyze the perception of Black people, and the manufacture of that perception, that inspire the masses to accept extrajudicial killing as justifiable, even necessary. Dollarism. 24 We will investigate extrajudicial killing as a tool to maintain the capital oriented dominance of the ruling class. Extrajudicial killing is an expression of the organized violence necessary to maintain exploitative class structure. Ruling class dominance is ultimately capital oriented and militarily anchored. We Charge Genocide Again. 28 We will synthesize past and present examples of extrajudicial kill- ing, and speak up for the multi-century span of murdered people. 5 6 1. said the bullet to the back What does extrajudicial killing mean? 7 Extrajudicial killing of Black People is killing by police that happens without trial or any due process. Student-teachers should Terms we should be familiar with: know: White Supremacy: White supremacy is the philosophy that only white people are hu- -Extrajudicial killing of Black People is man beings. White supremacy is the philosophy that white people are the creators and killing by police that happens without keepers of civilization and the best of human culture. White supremacy is the philosophy trial or any due process. When a police that all Black and Brown people are less than human and less than civilized and therefore officer kills one of us, it is an execution in should be ruled and dominated by whites. the street. Examples? -It violates human rights when a govern- White Power Structure: The White Power Structure is the system of institutions, gov- ment and its agents destroy a human be- ernment, business, media, armies that all work together to maintain the power of white ing without a trial. Yet we have been killed people. The idea is that oppression is not the result or practice of just one part of society. without due process since the beginning Oppression is enforced by every part of society working together. Racist politicians work of the United States itself. with racist corporations who work with racist media companies who work with racist -Extrajudicial killing can also be car- school districts all to: ried out by security guards or any other -Maintain Black suffering and exploitation vigilantes who kill a person because they -Maintain white ruling class power and profit decide that a Black person is not a human being, but rather an executable criminal Examples? and the government lets them get away with it. Ruling class: The small, wealthy, white population within society that control the United States’ political, economic, and military actions. The ruling class controls and benefits -Extrajudicial killing does not have to from the white power structure. be with a gun. White lynching of Black people is a form of extrajudicial killing as Examples? old as the United States itself. Relationship between White Power Structure and Ruling Class: The ruling class -We will examine extrajudicial killing as it controls the white power structure, but the white power structure is made of millions exists as both a current and historic racist who work in its institutions. Police are workers in the white power structure. Teachers are practice of the white power structure that workers in the white power structure. People who are not white are workers in the white keeps Black People oppressed, exploited, power structure. under surveillance and confined. Examples? Whether to justify making us slaves, prisoners, or dead bodies in the street, the idea is that: to be Black is to not be human. Also, to justify making us slaves, prisoners, or dead bodies in the street: To be Black can even mean to be the enemy of human beings. Questions and comments? 8 Let’s look generally at where all of this is taking place. For discussion: For discussion: What is the United States? If the United States does not exist with- What is United States about? out murder; does not exist without the murder of Black people; does not exist What is United States as a concept? without the murder of Black People by What is United States as a project? police: What is the United States besides What is United States as a goal? a country? *Write students answers on board In this section we will investigate extra- judicial killing of Black People both as result of the white power structure and an Does United States (as fleshed out by the above questions) exist without murder? ingredient of the white power structure. Why or why not? How or how not? Extrajudicial killing is both a cause and Does United States exist without the murder of Black People? effect within this society. Why or why not? How or how not? What does it cause? Does United States exist without the murder of Black People by police? What causes it? Why or why not? How or how not? What is the relationship between the two lists? Writing or Discussion Prompt Let’s look at this picture 1) In the voice of the young man write a piece that begins “The United States to me:” 2) In the voice of the police officer sur- rounding him write a piece that begins “The United States to me:” 9 Let’s look at what is taking place. One result of white supremacy and white power structure is genocide of Black People. What is genocide? The United Nations is an international organization of countries set up in 1945 after For Writing: World War II to promote international peace. There are currently 192 countries that are members of the U.N. In the voice of the Black man being According to the United Nations: grabbed: “The United States is to me:” Adopted December 9, 1948 In the voice of the police officers grabbing “In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with in- the man: “The United States is to me” tent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: In the voice of the reporter filming the a) Killing members of the group; situation “The United States is to me” b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Q: What relationship to the government do a people who suffer genocide have? c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; Q: Who are the police to us? d) Imposing measure intended to prevent births within the group; In 1951, we brought a petition to the UN to charge the United States with genocide e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.” of Black people in this country. We wrote: “Once the classic method of lynching What stands out to you about this definition of genocide? was the rope. Now it is the police man’s What does this definition make you think of? bullet.
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