(16:16:07) The Bad Apples

Speaker [00:00:02] I didn't have a voice at all. I sat there, I took everything, I let everything just slide. By junior and senior year I decided to use my time to stand and bring my voice to life.

Speaker [00:00:16] I decided to make my voice heard in the community of South Plainfield. My senior year, it was time for our senior opinion in the hallway. By typing something relatable to me, a black super hero. So everybody else that painted white super heros were able to get there paintings done, accepted, early. [It would take 2 more weeks to get though.] Because they were black superheros. So after that day I decided to stand up at South Plainfield High Sschool. Ever since then, I stood up to all of black people in the school and told them that they had rights to. So today we showed the town that we're here. And we have our voice, and that we matter. So from here on out. We will show them that we do matter to them, and that racism does exist in your school system. It's time to make a change.

Speaker [00:01:59] My name is Jason Wortham and I live here, in South Plainfield, for most of my life, I'm black. I'm proud, but I'm tired and I'm scared. Scared all my life. That fear when you're driving in a rough neighborhood, quote, unquote. But for me, the entire country. And where I go, I'm in danger simply because of the color of my skin. I look at a cop and I don't relax and feel safe. I tense up and pray they don't mess with me. Way before George Floyd was murdered. Me and my brothers had feared for our lives who were, when being confronted by a cop. You are trained to act a talk a certain way in front of cops. All of us. We had night breaking news. Another unarmed black male shot dead by those who were supposed to protect us. My parents called me to the living room to have that conversation.

Speaker [00:02:51] Black people, you know, I'm talking about. That conversation started as early as I can remember. Instilled in every black person in front of you today. Educated so we don't get killed. A reality that we all have to live every single day. When I saw the video of George Floyd, I was heartbroken but not surprised. The only thing I could think was, am I next. Are one of my brothers standing in front of you. Next. Are we the next hashtag? The next death without any justice? A sick thought for someone in a country that claims to be the land of the free. The Black Lives Matter movement is nothing but education. Opening everybody's eyes to the mistreatment my people live. We're tired of sitting back and letting things slide.

Speaker [00:03:46] It took showing the whole world on camera during a global pandemic. The injustice we face. It took that to finally see the reaction by people we need, needed help long ago. To finally feel like we have someone else on our side. Am I upset it has taken this long. Yes, but I'm grateful it has happened now.

Speaker [00:04:06] My father asked me, what do you think needs to be done to really make a change? My first answer was "regular police screening." I do strongly believe that there are good cops in this world trying to make it a better place. But there are way too many bad apples in the bunch. I know you are seeing a lot of polls about bad apples being in a bunch. But if yall don't know what I'm talking about. This is not the type of job that needs bad apples. That's like a pilot. Bad Apples, some of them feel like they want to land.

Speaker [00:04:39] So you take your pick. Do you have faith in that airline. No. So I don't have faith in the police force. And there's that many bad apples, killing us.

Speaker [00:04:58] I saw a post that said it takes longer to learn how to be a Barber than a cop. Let that sink in. A barber, people. I learned how to cut hair or learn how to be a cop quicker.

Speaker [00:05:23] Police officers, personalities should be checked. We know they all have the ability to police the streets. But is their personalities, right, is their heart in the right place? There's no excuse why a cop should be given a little slap on the wrist for conducting an arrest in a brutal way. Hold them accountable. I'm tired cops to unarmed black civilians without receiving any punishment unless the Internet says different.

Speaker [00:05:51] There should be no reason like Twitter and Instagram are more of a justice system than our actual justice system. That doesn't make sense to me. Why did we have to wait for Twitter and Instagram. That is ran by us. Come on now. Power to the people but we try to trust people in the justice system? Come on, now.

Speaker [00:06:17] My second answer to my father's question was educate people why they are young. In high school I remember my history class we spoke about slavery and this had to be my freshman year. This is the first time graphic videos we're going to be shown to our grade. Everybody knows what I'm talking about. Went to the high school. But before this video was shown, the teacher said, if anyone feels uncomfortable, you can leave and go to another classroom. To my surprise, a couple of students left the room. In essence, allowing students to walk away from the reality that once was or still is while we are young videos of America sin should be shown to every one of us. The reality that my ancestors were thrown off boats in the middle of the ocean with weights tied around their ankles. The reality that my ancestors were lynched in front of the whole town, killed for sport. The reality that this ... didn't happen too long ago. I don't even know how to love black and white photos in the history book, trying to show us, it's still in our minds, that it happened a long time ago, a really long time ago.

Speaker [00:07:26] My great great grandfather was a slave. That's 2 greats, people. That is only 2 greats. That's not too long ago. In Reality, I had to face way before being taught in high school, traumatizing for me as a young boy. And yes, it may be traumatizing for every high school that reviews it, black or white. But it will mean something that, but it will be something that they will never forget. I saw a post on Twitter this white Mom said on Nickelodeon it was sharing. They had to add about George Floyd saying I can't breathe. And she was pissed. She was like. Ugh ugh, not my child.

Speaker [00:08:08] He's not going to see this. This is a young boy. I think he traumatized my son. Nickelodeon shame on you.

Speaker [00:08:20] I responded back, I said, at that age, my kid was eight years old at that age. I was having conversations with parents about what to do and what not to do in front of a cop. So I thought it died. An eight year old kid, you got to go to the eight year old black kid and tell them you are going to die if you don't act right in front of a cop. That's the view. That's the truth.

Speaker [00:08:44] You feel bad about your young son who doesn't have the face that same type of attention from cops, that target on my back everywhere I go? I can't look at nobody wrong. I keep my head down. Go into a store. The young lady said, you put my hands or nothing. That's my reality, that boy will not face that type of reality. Now, I see a lot of faces out there, a lot of people I graduated with and with school with, and I did notice that a lot of you have children, and I pray I pray you plan to teach them to see people of every shade, accept them and love them from who they are. We must we must pass love onto the next generation, teach them what's right. We know what's right. We know what's right. Stop pretending that all OK. Let the bullet fly by. Whatever. No, no, no. We know what is right. You gotta teach them when they are young. You have to. After we leave today. Don't let this just be another hangout or opportunity to catch up with people you haven't seen in years.