Milwaukee Violence: Why Is it So Hard to Talk About Race in America?
Americans return to work after another weekend of violence, that brings, among other things, another unwelcome lesson in how difficult it is to talk about race in America. But this weekend also brings a small gift of understanding, involving Donald Trump supporters. (More about that in a moment.)
Let's start with Milwaukee. "We had a horrible night last night," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a press conference on Saturday. From 6 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday, the city had nine shootings, leading to five deaths. And then, things got worse.
Sometime after that press conference, a black man, apparently armed with a stolen handgun, was shot and killed by police after fleeing a traffic stop. Within hours, there were angry protests; a police car was smashed, another was set on fire and at least four businesses were burned. By Sunday afternoon, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker called in the National Guard.
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The online chatter that accompanied the stories and tweets of the shooting and riots were brutal and predictably polarized, with little middle ground.
“The police are killing us.”
“He had a gun and deserved what he got!”
“This is what happens when you deny us basic rights and services.”
“You're looting your own businesses, nice work.”
“We need better jobs and schools!”
“Black on black crime.”
“Why should I care?”
Why is it so hard to have meaningful conversations about race? In this case, you don't need to have an opinion about this particular weekend to understand there is something deeply disturbing about life in Milwaukee for black citizens. The infant mortality rate for black babies is three times that for white babies, with 15 deaths per 1,000 births versus five. Put another way, the white infant mortality rate is about the same as Canada's. The black rate is that of the Gaza Strip.
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And an important 2015 story from NPR, Why is Milwaukee So Bad For Black People?, dug deep into the data: K-12 schools in Milwaukee suspend black kids at a higher rate than any other U.S. city. Wisconsin has the largest achievement gap between black and white students. The state allots more money to the prison system than to education. And as a result of very specific policies, Milwaukee County incarcerates the most black men in the country. (God help you if you live in the 53206 zip code.)
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