KIMBERLY JONES EXPLAINS

BY: PROVOKR Editors

Much of the controversy surrounding the current Black Lives Matter movement isn’t because of the protests. It’s because of a small number of people that are rioting and looting. But as activist and author Kimberly Jones discusses in the powerful 6-minute video above, the systematic racism in this country gives way to the destruction and robbery.

Jones states the obvious to begin: Black people were brought here for economic gain. They were the laborers of agriculture in the south and textiles in the north. Since then, the financial systems in the U.S. worked against Black people.

Jones explains it beautifully using the Monopoly game to illustrate her analogy. She says if two people were playing Monopoly, for 400 rounds, the Black person playing wouldn’t be allowed to own property or make money. If they did, all of it went to their opponent. Then, when they can finally own it for themselves for 50 rounds, white people burn it to the ground. This is a reference to the Greenwood and Rosewood massacres at the hands of white residents who felt threatened by their Black neighbor’s wealth. Greenwood, which is part of Tulsa, has been called the worst racial violence incident in America. 

After it burns, then the Black player is supposed to catch up. The white person doesn’t share the wealth, though that would be logical. Thay have to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” but that’s impossible when the system works against them. If we all stop and consider why the looting happens, we get to the root of the issue.

Jones ends the video with a powerful, thought-provoking statement: “They’re lucky all Black people are looking for is equality and not revenge.”