Cowardly and cruel are those Blacks Innate
Prone to Revenge, Imp of inveterate hate
He that exasperates them, soon espies
Mischief and Murder in their very eyes.
Libidinous, Deceitful, False, and Rude
The Spume Issue of Ingratitude
The Premises consider'd, all may tell
How near good Joseph they are Parallel
—Racist couplet by John Saffin
John Saffin, one of the first known future slave traders in New England, is born in 1626. As an adult, he becomes part owner of a ship involved in the direct shipment (and illegal smuggling) of slaves from Africa directly to Massachusetts and Virginia. His merchant activities later make him one of the wealthiest men in Massachusetts. Although not known to personally own slaves, he does employ indentured servants.
John Saffin is notorious for being a racist who does not honor his contract against a Black indentured servant named Adam who escapes from his farm. When the case of Adam goes to court in Bristol County, Saffin who was a merchant, politician and judge is on the bench and allegedly tampers with the jury and bribes the foreman. It’s no surprise that Adam is subsequently found guilty for failing to “cheerfully, quietly and industriously” fulfill the terms of his contract.
Over many decades, John Saffin attempts to leverage his institutional power and privilege to reclaim Adam, but ultimately fails with Adam being granted his freedom just seven years shy of John Saffin’s death. This ownership of Black bodies is a theme that repeats long after emancipation and currently plays out in a myriad of ways inside a hyper capitalist system that relies on cheap labor.
But today, it wasn’t a story about Black lives not mattering that got my attention (those are all too common); it was a white life not mattering. In particular, the life of Garrett Foster, a white protestor at a Black Lives Matter rally in Texas following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer.
Just as was the case for George Floyd and so many unarmed Black people, it’s another white male police officer, Daniel Perry, who was convicted of the murder of Garrett Foster last Friday, April 7, 2023. In the state of Texas with no exception for rape, incest or the life of the mother, there are far too many exceptions for murderous white male police officers. In this case, it just happens to be a white life that didn’t matter, but the motive is still the same: uphold white supremacy that is the greatest domestic terrorist threat tracked by DHS, DOJ and the FBI.
Texas Governor Greg Abbot continues to enable white supremacist parents, including many white mothers, in his state with book bannings, threatening women and Black people’s lives and other forms of pathological narcissism and psychopathy, akin to what we see in figures like Putin and terrorist organizations like the Taliban. White lives that are for Black lives are also disposable, along with women. Anyone who presents a threat to white male supremacy and is pro-democracy becomes the enemy of the state and their murderer is granted a gubernatorial pardon.
Today and every day, I stand first and foremost with the families of the murdered and in the month that my own mother’s killer goes to trial, I also reinforce the principles of antiracism, pro-democracy and pro-woman that my mother instilled in me as she raised me as a single mother in a world hostile to women and girls.
Let’s send the message loud and clear to Texas Governor Abbott that we will not tolerate elevating the lives of murderous white police officers above the lives of homicide victims, whether Black or white. Wasn’t it the right wing that engaged in the white backlash of “all lives matter?” The truth is that not even white lives that stand for equity and justice in the world matter.
To the families of my white ally antiracism brothers and sisters like Heather Heyer and Garrett Foster, we will not forget your bravery and courage. Your lives mattered and justice must be served. Please let Texas know……
Well said. As a constituent of Texas (Austin) it’s been horrific watching him operate. A man who doesn’t stand for the people but as you’ve noted, the ones upholding white supremacy and any institutions that support it as well. The truth is, as you’ve written, our country is built upon these systems of racism and white supremacy, and they are flaunting it daily. I’m hoping his draconian decision making being exposed will wake up more (white) people. I can say that we in Austin have been outraged and pushing back at the capital. Thank you for sharing this.
How was George Floyd's death racially motivated...?