Open Letter to Attorney General concerning the death of Aiyana Stanley-Jones

Below is the letter, based on the suggestions about how to channel your outrage over Aiyana’s death. Also, for a great analysis of the role “reality TV” and racism played, read this

Dear Attorney General Eric Holder,

I am one of the people outraged at what happened to Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit. Not just because the police carelessly burned and executed a seven year old girl sleeping on a couch. That is bad enough. Despite the fact that police received warnings that there were children in the house. That is worse. But most of all because the police, and whoever heads the police, think black people are worthless enough to be used as props on the latest thin-brained reality TV show. Aiyana Stanley-Jones died that day for a few minutes of televised entertainment. Long before that, white power brokers dehumanized and alienated the members of the black community to the point where they lost their intrinsic value as people in the eyes of the police. And this is the real reason why Aiyana died, like so many before her.

Racist violence is resurging in America. Where is the leadership for justice and compassion?