Baldwin & Me

 James Baldwin and Me(c) 

Baldwin for me is my icon muse, the thoughts that flow from his writings are breathtaking  as well as brilliant in the context of being Black in America.

I often feel I am in surreal racial bubble , when in fact none of life  in racial bubbles for Black folks is new at all .

Life in the 50’s  was not all that different in many respects  for Black Folks than this current Era in some respects on a variety of issues and concerns 

The current  interactions with America and ‘Whiteness’ in 2026 is not that transformative on certain issues in our society which is disturbing and Yet not defining nor defeating 

I am more in Baldwin’s camp certainly with regards to valuing the full nature of my character rather than just the experiences one has with a society that is inherently adverse to my existence 

Black Americans are far more expansive and evolved than just the personas  and trauma  of having survived slavery , jim crow , and contemporary race issues 

Grievance is certainly a critical and functioning aspect of being human.Yet for me now is resistance in many  endless iterations is what I have always strived for as an Activist, but I also understand its limitations  it can handcuff and handicap your personal development 

In my earlier years I defined myself as a Black Activist which spoke to the moment as I got older and evolved , I defined myself as an Activist 

Greg Thrasher 

Director 

Plane Ideas 

Alternative Think Tank 

USA

Racist Law Enforcement Responses

 My activism over the past decades allowed me to interact with Federal, State and Local Enforcement Agencies which frequently involved Black Law Enforcement Officers 

Some were asswipes and frequently went out of their way to antagonize me I viewed many as modern day Slave Catchers and I reacted accordingly 

In America there is a deliberate strategic hierarchical level of police response to threats to communities and schools , churches , temples and mosques 

Of course Race is a factor as well as religion in the deployment of law enforcement responses to threats to specific  communities in our country 

Despite Black Americans being the # 1 targeted group of Hate Crimes in America , We rank behind White Jewish Americans in the hierarchy of Law Enforcement Deployment responses to targeted threats 

The history of law enforcement racism towards Black Americans is deplorable as is the racist hierarchy of responses to threats against Black American communities

The Deportation Agenda by ICE against Hispanics reflects this same racist response there is no ICE deployment on undocumented people in America from Europe and Canada as examples 

Resist 2 Exist(c)

Greg/BLM

Psst … Racial Profiling Deportations

 Psst….There are plenty of White undocumented Europeans, Canadians, Middle Eastern, and others in America 

Yet Trump, MAGA and the goons from ICE only target Hispanics/Latinos/Haitians & others that are Non-White

How come these White people are not targeted , dragged out of cars , kidnapped , afraid to go to work etc etc 

Targeting only Non-White people for selective deportations is Un American 

Resist 2 Exist(c)

Civil Disobedience???

 In certain situations where an ‘ act of injustice ‘ by government agents leads to the potential loss of innocent life and injury ‘civil disobedience’ is appropriate 

It is critical to understand context and in this situation sometimes allowing an ‘unlawful ‘ process where the loss of innocent lives is not at stake it is more effective to not engaged than inserting an act of ‘civil disobedience’

The courts frequently will dismiss matters where ‘due process’ and violation of the ‘rule of law’ will create dismissal of a case against a protester 

Protesters must be ‘armed’ with knowledge of the law in the context of the actions being committed and then act accordingly 

Resist 2 Exist(c)

My Favorite MLK Day Story

 My favorite true story on MLK Day, decades ago I was living in Altadena, Ca  during the Rodney King saga

I was protesting real hard and in your face against the LAPD and they started to chase down the protestors with tear gas etc

I was running so fast( I run extra fast when the po -po is chasing me) as I rounded a alley there was a White guy in a pick up truck and he said jump in the back.. I did just that and he drove about a mile away and he saved my Black ass from the LAPD

I will always remember this guy forever and always 

I know there are millions of White Americans who value Black Folks

This is one of the reasons I celebrate MLK Jr Holiday 

Peace and Love

Resist 2 Exist (c)

Greg

My personal memory of MLK JR Holiday

 MLK JR holiday day takes me back to a bedtime tale that would make go to sleep and stop asking my parents’Why ‘ 

When MLK was assassinated the riots were so instructive for me , I noticed how my life and my community changed.. 

I got admitted to college, my father got a full time job, white folks moved out of the neighborhood and my family moved in to better housing 

Resist 2 Exist (c)

Greg Thrasher

Director 

Plane Ideas

Alternative Think Tank 

USA

The Ultimate Sermon on MLK Jr

 https://open.substack.com/pub/drstaceypatton1865/p/they-love-him-dead?r=24a0vn&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay