Quote of the Day

We know that the anti-woke, the stop woke terminology [used by Governor Ron DeSantis and others is] nothing more than a dog whistle. Woke – if you replace it, it’s Black. They have a problem with Black people. And their anti-Black policies and their continual attacks on the Black community [. . .] illustrate that perfectly. Over the past few legislative terms, we have seen a concerted effort for Ron DeSantis to silence Black voices, to silence Black pain, to devalue our humanity, to erase our history. And people are frustrated and tired. I am so saddened by the loss of Angela, Anolt and Jarrald. But, you know, I am angry. We are angry that leadership in our state continue to perpetuate this hateful violence through rhetoric.

– Florida State Representative Angie Nixon
Quoted in “Some Political Leaders in Florida Perpetuate
Hateful Rhetoric, State Rep. Nixon Says”
NPR News
August 28, 2023

Related Off-site Links:
A White Man Fatally Shoots 3 Black People at a Florida Store in a Hate Crime, Then Kills Himself – Russ Bynum, Terry Spencer and Trisha Ahmed (AP News, August 26, 2023).
The Jacksonville Shooter Killed a Devoted Dad, a Beloved Mom and a Teen Helping Support His Family – Russ Bynum (AP News, August 28, 2023).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Booed at Vigil as Hundreds Mourn More Racist Killings – Aaron Morrison and Russ Bynum (AP News, August 28, 2023).
Gary Younge on Jacksonville Shooting and Why America’s Gun Problem “Makes Its Racism More Lethal” – Democracy Now! (August 28, 2023).

UPDATES: The Racist Murders in Jacksonville Didn’t Happen in a Vacuum. Words Came First – Reverend William Barber (The Guardian, August 29, 2023).
Jacksonville Shooting: Rep. Maxwell Frost Blasts DeSantis for Pushing Bigotry and Ignoring Gun Violence – Democracy Now! (August 29, 2023).
Obama Administration’s Capitulation to Republicans on Ignoring the Rise of White Nationalism Set the Stage for Jacksonville – Julia Conley (Common Dreams, August 30, 2023).
Racist Shootings “Don’t Happen in a Vacuum”: Bishop Barber on DeSantis, Trump and Those Who Spread Hate – Democracy Now! (September 5, 2023).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Cornel West: “Of Course America Is Racist”
• Two Comments on Racism in America . . . and a Perspective on White Solidarity
• Disarming the Weapons Within