Aftermath of Charleston: Five black American writers you should read today
It was 150 years ago today that the United States announced the abolition of slavery in Texas. The date, known as Juneteenth, came to be celebrated as a holiday in states across the country to mark the end of slavery. But today, Americans are also grappling with tough questions about racism and violence after Wednesday’s shooting in Charleston, S.C. – which authorities and witnesses are calling a hate crime – left nine people dead at a black church and a white man in custody. Here’s how five black American writers have responded to the tragedy.
Rebecca Carroll on violence against women (The Guardian)
Context: Dylann Storm Roof, the suspect in the shooting, had remarked to friends that “blacks were taking over the world” before the attack. Sylvia Johnson, a cousin of one of the victims, told MSNBC that a survivor told her the gunman said: “I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country.”
“The idea that white women’s bodies represent that which is inviolable while black women’s are disposable hasn’t changed enough since it was first articulated by white men; but again, aimed at black men on Wednesday night, it was predominately black women who suffered by their invocation.”
More: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/aftermath-of-charleston-five-black-american-writers-you-should-read-today/article25034661/
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