Personally, the news of Kirshnik Ball (aka Takeoff) dying from what is said to be an accidental shooting has been distressing. It’s ‘just another black man’ who has become a statistic. It makes this discussion about gun and gang violence ever more pertinent as I’m joined again by Ish and Trey.
News and media platforms choose to push the narrative of the black-on-black violence trope, as though we’re killing each other because we’re black. That surface level understanding minimises the issue and allows black people to be dehumanised. When we take a closer observation, we realise that these killings are not driven by race, but rather because of the run-down environments black people in America are subjected to. These similar environments also exist in other racial communities within America and expose them to the same issues of violence, poverty, unemployment and hunger. This narrative also lacks the element of humanity to care as black people are dying at alarming rates while we watch and judge from the sidelines!
This agenda influences and preserves the existing systems that continually fail black people. We examine the different layers of this topic and explore this culture of indifference and wilful ignorance shown by society as black people are blamed for their circumstances.
How do we address these issues that plague the black community? Who are the actors in our society that are enabling and reinforcing these systems? How do we fix our institutions? Can they be fixed? To what degree and in what ways can black people, the society, and our institutions take ownership of this gun and gang violence endemic?
Host:
Fungai Mutsiwa
Instagram: @ blackfor30
Guests:
Trey Alexander
Instagram: @trey.alexander
Website: Trey Alexander
Ishmael Khepri
Instagram: @mrfilmlogik
@americathemixtape
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.
Personally, the news of Kirshnik Ball (aka Takeoff) dying from what is said to be an accidental shooting has been distressing. It’s ‘just another black man’ who has become a statistic. It makes this discussion about gun and gang violence ever more pertinent as I’m joined again by Ish and Trey.
News and media platforms choose to push the narrative of the black-on-black violence trope, as though we’re killing each other because we’re black. That surface level understanding minimises the issue and allows black people to be dehumanised. When we take a closer observation, we realise that these killings are not driven by race, but rather because of the run-down environments black people in America are subjected to. These similar environments also exist in other racial communities within America and expose them to the same issues of violence, poverty, unemployment and hunger. This narrative also lacks the element of humanity to care as black people are dying at alarming rates while we watch and judge from the sidelines!
This agenda influences and preserves the existing systems that continually fail black people. We examine the different layers of this topic and explore this culture of indifference and wilful ignorance shown by society as black people are blamed for their circumstances.
How do we address these issues that plague the black community? Who are the actors in our society that are enabling and reinforcing these systems? How do we fix our institutions? Can they be fixed? To what degree and in what ways can black people, the society, and our institutions take ownership of this gun and gang violence endemic?
Host:
Fungai Mutsiwa
Instagram: @ blackfor30
Guests:
Trey Alexander
Instagram: @trey.alexander
Website: Trey Alexander
Ishmael Khepri
Instagram: @mrfilmlogik
@americathemixtape
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.