Jesse Williams, a lead actor on Grey’s Anatomy, is no stranger to advocating against the racial disparities that exist in the United States and the world. He has been criticized for being racist, but he asserts and we agree that he is just shining light on issues that some like to keep in the dark. Today he sent out a series of tweets pertaining to Sandra Bland.
Last week Social Media blew up after learning about Sandra Bland. Reports say she allegedly killed herself in a jail cell after being arrested for “failure to signal and assaulting an officer”. With the details of the case that have been made public, suicide seems highly unlikely, and Williams agrees.
1 Some thoughts on #SandraBland & millions of Americans exhausted by paid servants destroying instead of defending lives. And those
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
2 reflexively parroting weak slogans; squealing for violence & murder from behind a centuries-old wall of perfectly visible privilege.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
3 This country is FULL of Americans who actively exercise their rights when given unlawful, unclear orders by police.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
4 Refusing to roll down windows, present ID, hand over assault rifles, answer ANY questions, etc.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
5 THEY are lauded as heroes; patriots. Message boards swell w/ Police being ridiculed & laughed at by this Patriot-Class of Americans.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
6 Without fail, when select Americans excercise their rights, message boards FILL w praise for the resisting citizen & mockery of police.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
7 An entire political party [re]constructed loudly claiming to RESIST "gov't tyranny" while actively CELEBRATING [certain] gov't tyranny!
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
8 A select segment of Americans are granted the privilege of being able to resist said tyranny, scream at it, punch, shove or elude it.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
9 For membership consideration, this club has ONE requirement: the citizen(s) resisting police/the law/status quo must be white.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
10 Every time the story involves a black citizen, doing far less, presumed guilt BEGINS as their's to shed. But one cannot shed blackness.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
11 Blackness turns "awesome!" or "badass!" to "thug" "nigger" faster than a speeding bullet. Whiteness turns villain to hero in a flash.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
12 As we well know, police are not THE law. They swear to UPHOLD & ENFORCE the law in a professional, courteous manner, whenever possible.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
13 Otherwise, whenever we had a problem, we'd just call our friends, local gangs or the mob to handle problems.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
14 The mob, gangs and citizens can be prosecuted though.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
15 Should there should be a discernible difference b/t thugs & police?
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
16 You can't arrest someone for "resisting arrest." That's bullshit. Clearly state the charge & when resisted, that's an additional charge.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
17 WE DO NOT BEGIN AS POLICE PROPERTY, to be freed or detained based on some guy's mood or feeling. We are not theirs.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
18 Police weapons & cuffs do not dissolve if we don't like their attitude. Our rights should remain intact if they're displeased w/ ours.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
19 #SandraBland's treatment while attempting to travel freely on HER public roadways has been acknowledged as unlawful. She is already dead.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
20 Blackness is born to be w/ 2.9 strikes. A life that can & will be snatched by it's nation at any time, any place. Any age, any gender.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
21 Those who relentlessly excuse all anti-black state violence cheerlead when people born of their same complexion resist cops & presidents.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
22 What follows is an easily searchable sampling of the glaring daily white privilege not afforded to millions of Americans
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
23 who's lives are forever damaged or destroyed, while millions cheer and/or avert their gaze:
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
24 Before we begin, please list ALL infractions punishable by spontaneous murder at the hands of any police or white citizen. #ShowYourWork
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Williams didn’t stop there. He proceeded to send out a series of tweets with (some with video pr0of) showing disparities.
Man resists, curses, repeatedly punches, shoves, then runs from cops, who never consider shooting/killing him. https://t.co/jGJbbkFIYO
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Woman Goes on Shooting Spree, Yet Somehow Isn't Killed By Policehttp://t.co/wMexigGvUJ #SandraBland
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
San Diego [White] Man Waves Gun Around Small Children In Confrontation With Police, then treated like a human being http://t.co/wKM4ahM6Gm
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
white guy sucker punches cop and is neither killed nor beaten into an unrecognizable bloody mess.https://t.co/vomgwf4gqx #MikeBrown
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Teen attacks cops, takes his gun, fires it, neither beaten nor killed. Not news. https://t.co/XWYP6wimZn #JohnCrawford
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Pulled over w Active Arrest Warrant, NO License, NO Tags, NO Registration. Police let him go. https://t.co/KlCwkPpcWL #SandraBland
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Man shoots at police, somehow they summon ability to shoot w enough precision to disarm & not kill. http://t.co/07faJTZmzx #AnthonyHill
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
White woman hits person w/ car, others cars, assaults police officer AFTER string of thefts, has record wiped clean.http://t.co/gRUJpygl2b
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015
Someone responded to his tweets and he shut them down with one word.
Receipts? RT @shoppgirl512: @iJesseWilliams racist postings have offended me at a minimum! I'm asking for him to be fired for white hating.
— jesse Williams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 23, 2015
Do you believe he’s right?