Rest in Peace, Walter Scott. A poem performed by Quaker hip-hop artist Sterling Duns. Watch the full interview.
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Transcript:
R.I.P. Walter Scott
That was somebody’s son, gunned down, hands closed.
No palm readers, many weeping so bless em preachers.
I’m pleading to rabbis
Imams
people of all faiths
all creatures and all believers
Denominations
Though atheist may not be praying
whoever you are we need each other need a saving
with hearts caving,
something like explorers.
But too many fathers won’t ever see their daughters
life sentence no shorter, man we need some order
Cause when we’re too grown, is it too late?
Is it just too late?
This whole thing got me irate, so much I gotta pray.
My Quaker ways got my spirit up in a better place.
I put my life on pause, rewound, now I’m pressing play.
The come up,
grinding until the sun up,
knowing it could all be gone if a person puts their guns up.
A black Quaker no savior, I’m on my Bayard Rustin
to convince all the skeptics and get people to just trust em.
And that’s my truth.
Writing This Piece
I wrote part of that in response to a lot of Ferguson stuff was going on, and I think the most recent events in South Carolina are definitely on the hearts and minds of a lot of people, and I feel like there’s a lot of energy in our country right now around making space to have some deep conversations we’ve never had before in our country’s history. And it’s powerful.
It’s amazing to be alive right now, when all of this is going on. And I want to encourage people to always be rooted in love. That doesn’t mean don’t be angry. It doesn’t mean don’t shed a tear. But it means to always, in the conversations we’re having – because they’re painful, they’re charged, they’re bringing up a lot of things that we’ve never had to work through as humans in this country – but to know that we’re all in it together is important to remember.
I think it’s important for me to remember, and that’s why I say it, so when I listen to that song I remember, “Oh Dwight, you said that! You literally said that!” But to also encourage other people to be rooted in love – love for each other, love for humanity, and I don’t think we can fail if we do that. I really don’t.
The views expressed in this video are of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Friends Journal or its collaborators.
Living 3 miles from Ferguson and my family victims of police brutality that contributed to my daughters PTSD, I feel the horror of the hatred. My house value has declined again (previous because of the housing crash then our school becoming unaccredited), so that it is valued at about $10000. This contributes to more poverty and hopelessness here. I blocked 4 friends on FB this week because I don’t want to see people hate poor that they don’t know. They believe the poor should be punished, as if they are the enemy. I explain, it’s the 1%., Citizens United and big Corporations that are hurting this country. These people are not willing to see reality. I fear the Ferguson riots are just a small glimpse into this countries future. The hate is too prominent. Hitler got into power putting blame and hate on innocent. The GOP is too. I cry a lot about this
Thank you for your poem. It spoke to how I am feeling about the fears I have as a black mother of a black son and as a wife of a black man. Thank you!
Thank you for this honest and moving work, Sterling!