Again and again, history shows us a pattern: when Black communities gather in joy, protest, or solidarity, the military is often deployed. But protection has rarely been the result.
#1: Greekfest 1989 - What began as one of the biggest Black student gatherings turned violent when police clashed with crowds. The National Guard was sent in — and many Black people ended up beaten.
#2: MLK’s March from Selma to Montgomery (1965) - On March 25, 1965, MLK Jr. led thousands of peaceful protestors from Montgomery, Alabama, to Selma on a 5-day, 54-mile march. Their peaceful protest was met with a brutal police response, and the National Guard was called in to protect the marchers.
#3: LA Uprising (1992) - After watching the video of Rodney King being beaten by police in 1991 and seeing the officers acquitted a year later, the people of LA vented their rage, and the National Guard was deployed to “restore order.” Over 60 people were killed in the riots, and thousands were injured or arrested.
Entities like the National Guard are meant to protect us on paper, but they are still government agents. They can – and often do –harm us. Let’s continue to find ways to defend ourselves.