It¡¯s February ¡ª happy Black History Month. Unfortunately, this year¡¯s celebration of Black achievement didn¡¯t get off to a good start.
I began to see the name Tyre Nichols in the news at the end of January. The coverage was like a steady drumbeat getting louder (or a heartbeat getting faster?), with the headlines, multiplying. Finally, authorities announced they were going to release a video of Nichols being beaten by cops in Memphis, Tennessee ¡ª the city where was born and was slain. The assault left Nichols dead three days later.
I didn¡¯t want to click on the video. I¡¯ve seen enough of these ¡°breathing-while-Black¡± snuff films to last me a lifetime: Eric Garner, Philando Castile, George Floyd. Ever since Floyd, I can¡¯t watch anything of that nature without being triggered something terrible.
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