Our Story: Race, Class, Police, and Media in Carbondale, Illinois

According to media reports, on Sunday evening, July 31st, 2016, police were responding to gun shots being fired on the North Eastside of Carbondale in which an officer was struck and seriously injured during a pursuit of the suspects. Since this incident occurred on the “bad” side of town (consisting mostly of Blacks of low-income status), almost immediately the media began to make statements, subliminal and blatant, which would allege that this isolated incident is about race and class, as well as it being minorities declaring war on law enforcement. From roadside “Blue Lives Matter” protests to businesses adopting “We Support the Police” monikers for their billboards, the message is clear that this situation has escalated to a height unforeseen by people who refer to Carbondale as “home”.

Officer Trey Harris is the first Carbondale police officer to be shot while in the line of duty in over 46 years. This shooting makes the fourth police officer related shooting overall in Carbondale, Illinois. On August 20, 1933, Officer Lenard Sizemore was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect; on August 3, 1961, Chief Roy Bain survived after being shot four times during a shootout; and on November 12, 1970 several patrolmen were involved in a gun fight in which there were no fatalities. Last year the FBI reported that Carbondale ranked as number 8 out of the Top Ten Most Dangerous City in Illinois. By those statistics one would assume that crime in Carbondale happens as frequently as in larger cities in Illinois such as Chicago. Even after the online #DeadSilentProtest against media spurring hate, racism, and negativity, the media continues to do everything in their power to create division among communities and ethnic groups. We, as residents of Carbondale, have to take a stand first and take measures to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. One way to make this happen would be to organize a “Community Come Together” to discuss the best ways to make this happen. This is not about submission; we all live here and want our children to all have the opportunity to grow up in a community that is as safe as we can make it. We have to use our voices to speak up and not allow the media to segregate us anymore than we have become due to differences of opinions on race, religion, and politics. We cannot let someone else tell our story who has never actually studied our books! Not all cops are bad but, there are bad cops. There are ones who commit crimes and others who turn a blind eye and do nothing about these injustices. We acknowledge Blue Lives and applaud the ones who take pride in protecting the people they've sworn to protect.