“WHAT I NEED”
BY REVEREND JOY POWELL in 2020

I don’t need Police to kneel with me. I need you to get your knees off of our necks. The Black and Latino lives are devalued, and they refuse to protect, or correct. It’s not a figment of my imagination, why do they want me to forget? I picture George Floyd that day with the officer’s knee on his neck. It has me disgusted and totally vexed. We’re pushed to the brink and forced to protest. It’s really happening. It’s called “CIVIL UNREST!!”

I don’t need to convince or justify your lies, of why you choose not to socialize. If it doesn’t apply then let it fly. I need you to know that I will rise, rise, rise. Can’t you hear the mothers, fathers, and children’s cries? Innocent people of color on death row waiting to fry. Why?

What you need to know is, I’ve paid the ultimate price with my life, as an antiviolence activist against violence and police brutality, and government corruption. The voices are sounding all over the world like a volcano eruption. Now, do you hear us, are you taking the Black life serious. Some have lost it and became delirious.

I visualize George Floyd handcuffed in the back on that cold ground. He pleads, “please get your knee off of my neck, I can’t breathe”! Repeated history in the 21st Century; “PTSD.” It’s hard to erase our memories.

I totally relate, and understand the pain. We’re afraid of the terrors, tired and feel drained. Senator Cory Bookers’ voice rang. “We need transparency, and change. My.people came over here in shackles and chains.” Yet nothing has changed; it remains the same.

I need to feel safe knowing that finally a data base has been implemented to weed the bad police out, instead of tainting the investigations and giving the thugs in Blue the utmost clout. Forgetting what the real cause is all about.

African Americans are subjected to the harshest laws with mandatory minimums by design. The color of my skin seems to be the only crime, racial profiling comes to “WHITE SUPREMACIST MINDS.” Systemic racism need not go unchecked. The U.S. has created a HUGE MESS!! We’re no strangers to pain my mind can’t escape. My mentally ill son was killed by Police in the most grotesque way on October 10, 2018; it was a sad day!

We’re incarcerated and killed at alarming rates. I pray the anguish in my mind will one day escape. If violence is not the answer then why do they anticipate, on murdering people of color on a daily base? But it’s too late. The people are woke and no longer sleep, our pillows are soaked, for years we weeped.

What I need to know is, what happened to the Emergency Response Persons Team? Is killing Black mentally ill “the American Dream”? On the prowl to snuff us out. Will it work, I highly doubt. Terrell had mental health issues from a child. It was serious, not mild. Emotionally unbalanced but also serene, dashed his hopes, destroyed dreams.

On the contrary, in South Carolina, when Dylan ran full throttle in an African American Church to commit a horrific hate crime based upon what he was taught. Cold bloodedly killed preachers, teachers, and others he sought. Bragged and gave it no second thought. A well put together hate crime was wrought. The young white boy didn’t run, he wanted to get caught …

Shooting or killing him wasn’t an option. When Police saw him at the scene they halted and talked. Put on him a bullet proof vest, took him and bought him a meal, while we are unjustly criminalized. Basically, this depraved indifference young man was patted on the back and given a prize.

Unity, shame and fear has moved in a few weeks what centuries couldn’t. Acknowledgment is power; at first they wouldn’t. More importantly, I need President Trump to cease from his incoherent, racist, psychotic tweets. He needs to eat some humble pie and become meek. He’ll no longer be blind, but will finally see.

Trump’s incompetent leadership is clearly a joke. He had the audacity to call COVID-19 a HOAX!! Unfortunately we lost about a hundred thousand folks. Just the thought of Trump makes me wanna scream. Desecrating Holy Grounds to make a low-rated movie scene! His main objective is to cause chaos, and never speak facts. The U.S. President is mad whack to be exact.

He called the national Guard to shoot rubber bullets at peaceful protestors, and tear gas. This guy is simply out to lunch and has no class. I need Trump to never advise Americans to drink bleach. What’s he think, he’s Hitler, or Jim Jones? He really creeps me.

Forget the unconstitutional policies and practices. We need solidarity, love and peace, and for the police abuse to cease. So please stop the violence, don’t stab and beat the police. Although some have no decency, morals and integrity.

They maced a nine year old girl, and busted a 75 year old man’s head to the pavement. It’s not even safe to protest in the 21st century without being unwittingly put at harm. Two NYC Cops snatched a protestor’s mask off of his face so they could spray him with mace. A female protestor was punched in the face by police outside of the Barclay and was hospitalized with a concussion. They really don’t care about heading for self destruction.

Why can’t I exercise my First Amendment Free Speech Right without fear of reprisal? In disbelief, shock, and surprise; I mourn for those as well as myself who have been victimized. By an all white jury, I was tried. Not one piece of evidence, my rights were grossly denied. The key witness admitted on the stand that he lied. Yet, still they convicted me and gave me 25 to Life.

I need to know when you apologize, that it’s real so I can heal, and not feel afraid that history will repeat itself. Meanwhile, I refuse to go back on your whipping post, or get raped with my mouth closed. You got invited to the show, and I’m the host. The topic is can’t you see, this is the turn of history. “THE GIG IS UP IN 2020, and like thunder we sing, “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE! STOP RACIST POLICE!!” No more broken promises; we demand accountability. Stop racially profiling me!

Give us Equal Education, without Voter Suppression, Abolish Massive Incarceration, and disinformation on these Modern Day Plantations. Get rid of the on the low Police Brutality Investigations. We need Reparations for the overdue pain and suffering.

I need Equality and Justice for All.

Rest in Power: To My Son Terrell Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Freddy Gray, Eric Garner, 7 year old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Mike Brown, Stephon Clark, The Africas that were brutally murdered by Police, and the list goes on....

R.I.P. In 2020 by Reverend Joy Powell

REVEREND JOY POWELL’S COMMENTS
ON THE LATEST POLICE BRUTALITY MURDER IN MINNEAPOLIS:
May 28, 2020

we live in a system which blatantly displays White Justice, and Black laws, with random killing of Black and Brown people based upon the color of their skin.

Some of the issues that Reverend Powell would address were, and still are, Substandard Housing for poor people of color, Bleak Economic Conditions, Unequal Education, Police Brutality, and Massive Incarceration.

The ongoing existing tensions of racial profiling puts a narrative in the minds of people who already have preexisting biases. We have a U.S. President who openly boasts and acts like a White Supremacist.

Wherein, the world is enraged after the traumatic news aired of an unarmed Black man named George Floyd being brutally murdered by a Minneapolis Officer named Derik Chauvin who strangled him to death as his knee pressed in this unarmed victim’s neck while George was handcuffed on the ground.

This evil and diabolic murderer didn’t treat George Floyd with dignity and humanity as he cried for his mother and screamed, “I CAN'T BREATHE!” As usual the Police Department hired a Medical Examiner in an attempt of thwarting the attention off of the perpetrator, onto the victim. Putting out inaccurate, unproven statements to place unproven assumptions in people’s minds.

However, camera footage actually reveals the glaring discrepancies unequivocally showing the victim begging for air as Chauvin’s knee was on George Floyd’s neck.

Thank God for the bystander’s filming the arbitrary and capricious, cold callous Murder!! And, where is the U.S. President? Oh yeah, he’s hiding. And plotting to have the people smoked by the National Guard due his own fears.