Black in AmeriKKKa, My experience Vol.2 Entrance into Activism
In Volume One of the series I discussed my experiences with systemic racism has a child and teenager. Breaking down the fundamental dynamic that affected not only me personally but many other black and bi racial youth.
Volume 2. Entrance into Activism
(Jaimes Campbell open carries at a Brock Turner Protest. Image Credit WHIO-TV)
Throughout my teenage years, my political beliefs and willingness to engage in political conversations increased greatly. Activism had not yet entered my life, but the seeds had been sown during my experiences at Wayne High School.
After high school I waited to attend college, in an attempt to save up money before going away. The game plan was to take a semester off and work. After that I wanted to go to the University of Cincinnati for my bachelors in Political Science, then off to the law school at Ohio University for a masters in Constitutional Law. I wanted to be a politician.
One semester turned into two and I became complacent in my fast food job and side jobs that I did to get by. My interest in becoming a politician also began to fade. Around this time is when Occupy Wall Street kicked off. I found the entire thing to be mesmerizing. Masses of people fed up with the corrupt system so they occupied Zucatti Park and sparked a global movement. The very thing I thought I loved about politics, that sense of fighting to change the system for the "greater good," I loved about activism. I began to feel as if activism was the true politics.
Occupy Dayton
Occupy Dayton was my first time participating in any sort of activist activity. Staying in the background, I just observed. I was trying to take in everything, learn as much as possible from everyone.
After a few times being at Courthouse Square,here in Dayton, I began to realize that I was more "Radical" than most in the group. There was talk of leaving the Square because of Dayton's annual tree lighting ceremony.
Several of us felt that we needed to stay, but we were in the minority. At the General assembly meeting just before Christmas, the group voted to leave the Square and several of us chose to leave the group. Changing the system means not kowtowing to it.
After being totally disappointed in the Occupy Dayton movement and the choice to vacate the square. I stayed out of activism for a couple more years.
John Crawford III
( One of the first John Crawford protests I attended. Image Source - M. Naziri )
The John Crawford III murder in Beavercreek, OH is the case that brought me back to activism.
For those unfamiliar with the case, John Crawford was murdered by Officer Sean Williams of the Beavercreek Police Department. John Crawford was on the phone and pacing through the Beavercreek Walmart with a toy rifle, that was readily available, just sitting on a shelf.
Ronald Richie called the police and filed a false police report claiming that Crawford was pointing and waving a gun at customers. Officer Williams and Officer Darkow charged into the Walmart in Beavercreek with assault rifles and gunned down John Crawford without ever giving him a chance to lay down the toy rifle.
(Photos from several John Crawford Protests in Beavercreek, OH. Image sources - M. Naziri, Mathieu Hubin Photograpy, WHIO-TV)
This case hit really close to home. John Crawford was basically my age, had young children just like I do, was shopping in a grocery store that I frequent, and he was pacing aimlessly on the phone which is something I do regularly. I really felt as if I could have been John Crawford.
Simply put, John Crawford was killed for being black in a white area doing something that if a white kid was doing no one would've noticed.
I learned of the John Crawford protests via Facebook. I met several people that would later become my best friends.
One such person, my friend Micah, was the one who got me into open carry protesting. I felt as a black man it was such a powerful statement.
This gun is real and I'm legally carrying it. John Crawford's gun was fake and even if it was real, he was still legally carrying it. Ohio is an open carry state, meaning that anyone who is not a felon can openly carry a weapon in the public. It was from these John Crawford protests that I got linked up with several bad ass activists and organizations. It lit the fire that kept me going to several other events such as actions for Tamir Rice and Samuel DeBose.
( Some "Frat boys" decided to heckle us while marched for Samuel Debose, seeking justice in his murder, in Cincinnati, OH. Micah told them what's up. Image Source - Jordan Freshour Photography )
Along with protesting police involved murders and for police accountability, we began protesting against The Stanford Rapist, Brock Turner. I, along with several other activist, took the lead in organizing direct action against Brock Turner and his family.
( Photo of several protesters at an against Brock Turner, The Stanford Rapist. )
We also began to protest against Donald Trump's racist and fascist rhetoric.
(Photo from an Anti-Trump protest in Vandalia, OH. Image Source M.Naziri)
With trips to Columbus, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and locally here in Dayton we protested at Trump rallies. Once it became clear that Donald Trump was going to win the Republican nomination, Micah and I travelled to Cleveland to protest the RNC.
(Photo of several activists from all over Ohio protesting against Trump in Columbus, Ohio)
Experience at the RNC
(Micah and I shortly after hitting the ground in Cleveland, OH to protest the RNC. Image Source - Reuters)
Within minutes of being on the ground we were inundated with local, national and international media. I would guess that between the both of us we gave at least 100 interviews.
(Image Source - Reuters)
It threw people off, to left-leaning individuals open carrying "assault rifles" and with our dress, people were assuming we were Muslim. So here are these two olive toned fellows strolling around in what appeared to be "Muslim" garb with weapons.
(A meme that was made from a photo a Breitbart media guy snapped of us. Source - Facebook)
The point was to be controversial, and show that people will stand up against Trump and his supporters.
By the end of the day we were trending on Twitter. The Cleveland police also issued a "bolo" for two armed Muslim men walking through alleys, yet I took photographs with my fellow Wisconsinites there with the Wisconsin State Police.
(Image Source - Jaimes Campbell)
Along with that the Secret Service questioned Micah about his weapon, and the death threats were rolling in before we even left the streets.
For me, this just reaffirmed why it is important to take a stand against injustice whether it's foreign or domestic.
(A video The Atlantic did contrasting my views with that of the right wing Minutemen. Source - The Atlantic via YouTube)
Without activism, I don't know where I would be right now. One thing I do know is that none of you would be reading this without my choice to get into activism. Without the activism that coalesced after the John Crawford III murder, there wouldn't be The Rust Belt Tribune.
Thank you for reading.
(Article by Jaimes Campbell)