For the past month, we’ve gone to central park daily to work on frisbee forehands. I’ve probably thrown thousands of errant slicing forehands trying to perfect the flick. Usually on my way to the park I visualize how the frisbee should rest in my hand, the edge clamped between my middle and ring finger, the disc leveled between my pointer finger knuckle on the bottom of the disc and my thumb on the top rim. It’s quite an unnatural grip that needs to be thought about to become natural. In the midst of deep thought, I heard these jarring chants.
“NYPD suck my dick!”
“How do you spell racist? NYPD”
“My generation been waiting for you all!”
“No justice no peace!”
Thousands of demonstrators were assembled in front of the American museum of natural history. It was a fitting stage for the protestors. the neoclassical museum façade built in 1874 invoked roman and Greek architecture to convey long the lasting glory and continuity of European imperial culture. at the top of the stairs, a line of NYPD cops punctuated by the equestrian Roosevelt statue. The 1940 bronze statue shows smug Roosevelt victorious on horseback with scantily clad American Indian and African standing beside him. The arrangement of figures representing white supremacy and settler colonialism. In front of this authoritarian formation, metal barricades and demonstrators of all ages and skin colors with cardboard signs.
In his own words, Roosevelt said, “It’s more important to tell the truth about the president — pleasant or unpleasant — than about anyone else.” (contrast this to trump rolling his eyes and telling reporters to shut up at press conferences). Under pressure to remove the statue for its racist content, the museum kept Roosevelt’s sculpture in the front and showed the value of presenting the uncomfortable past… to show that people in our times can understand and confront unpleasant history.
As I practiced gripping my frisbee walking through this rally, I saw an atmosphere that welcomed dissent and dialogue. Even though I didn’t partake in chanting “NYPD suck my dick”, could see the passion of the protesters in endangering their lives in times of corona for a better future.
“NYPD suck my dick!”
“How do you spell racist? NYPD”
“My generation been waiting for you all!”
“No justice no peace!”
Thousands of demonstrators were assembled in front of the American museum of natural history. It was a fitting stage for the protestors. the neoclassical museum façade built in 1874 invoked roman and Greek architecture to convey long the lasting glory and continuity of European imperial culture. at the top of the stairs, a line of NYPD cops punctuated by the equestrian Roosevelt statue. The 1940 bronze statue shows smug Roosevelt victorious on horseback with scantily clad American Indian and African standing beside him. The arrangement of figures representing white supremacy and settler colonialism. In front of this authoritarian formation, metal barricades and demonstrators of all ages and skin colors with cardboard signs.
In his own words, Roosevelt said, “It’s more important to tell the truth about the president — pleasant or unpleasant — than about anyone else.” (contrast this to trump rolling his eyes and telling reporters to shut up at press conferences). Under pressure to remove the statue for its racist content, the museum kept Roosevelt’s sculpture in the front and showed the value of presenting the uncomfortable past… to show that people in our times can understand and confront unpleasant history.
As I practiced gripping my frisbee walking through this rally, I saw an atmosphere that welcomed dissent and dialogue. Even though I didn’t partake in chanting “NYPD suck my dick”, could see the passion of the protesters in endangering their lives in times of corona for a better future.
No comments:
Post a Comment