(16:36:12) Nigera Williams

Speaker [00:00:00] Hi. My name is Nigera William. I grew up. My roots are in Newark, Jersey. My parents moved to Plainfield when I was three, I went to Hubbard Middle School. Cedar Brook Elementary, full Evergreen Elementary School. I split my time between these two places. I just feel it's important to constantly be reminded that change begin and end with as far as you're about to take it. There are more than two political parties. It's not a Democrat and Republican. You can do your research. You can know [and] understand your history. No one here is the first black person to ever live in Plainfield. It's happened before, like changes have been made before and I feel there is this, I always hated living here because I feel like suburbia has a way of, like, cracking you in this small town thing. Like, it's very tight, but there's you need to know your history. As in who are the the Fannie Lou Hamer come came before you here. Who, who pushed the boundaries here. And also, let's be mindful of who our city council people are. Who do you want to be your city council people? Do you consider yourself a potential city council person or something.

Speaker [00:01:30] Before we subvert the government that exists and defund. Well, if you're of that mind, even though they were very helpful today. Right. But still, infrastructurally, this is a system that began with slave patrols. Police could not exist if it weren't for the history of slave patrol put in place to minimize your behavior as a person of color. So. It hasn't changed much. They're still doing their jobs. Do you like their job?

Speaker [00:02:05] Does that work for you? What are you going to do about it? Do you know this? I think it's important that we ask for it, though. What is the annual budget that allotted for the police force in South Plainfield, in Plainfield? How much is allotted to public space, public health and safety, community, education? They've been ... defunding the police. I'm sure some of you thought that beat, defunding the police sounds radical until you take into account they've been defending education for years.

Speaker [00:02:39] We did two years ago. They were petitioning for school books to tell you that that put know about slavery. It was actually a bunch of helpers that were on a boat and they were like on a cruise ship. It's that radical. It's that crazy. And you need to be that radical with your politics, with your beliefs. Every brand that waded past what George Floyd was the martyr. He passed away on the 25th. I didn't see several brands speak until the 31st. I was mad on the 27th.

Speaker [00:03:19] Like real mad, big mad, mad, enough to be. But every brand, every ally, every ambassador, everyone in the young girl Instagram archetype, this neo capitalist thing. They are not all allies. They watch where you're watching your money as well. I understand that the bagel place that donated these bagels are Palestinian.

Speaker [00:03:46] These are people comma people. People support community movement and what you want, well that is who need to be supporting. In solidarity with our allies, with people of color, let's start speaking to each other again in public. Yeah. I don't know you, but say hello to me. Black people do that anyway. But, you know, if we're not, we can no longer be strangers. We, technology advanced humanity. Things have advanced people, and that cannot compete. If this is going to be a solid movement.

Speaker [00:04:25] Yes. Protests look the same for a little while, but that's a small piece of what really has to happen. And it's about mobilization and coming together and putting more money mindfully. Pouring into your own community. And when you don't see those things existing, making it happen. Home Depot is not for you. Financially, where they put their money, where they invest, Lowe's gave back to minority community. But even so, we have to get this capitalism mentality that everyone has to be a CEO. Or, like something crazy. A pop star or something to change the world.

Speaker [00:05:09] And I'm an actress, but I don't care what I do. I mean, wouldn't it be wonderful if you could say, oh, yeah, I know that the guy who runs the hardware store down the street, he is a cousin. And I know he'll he'll help out like me. I know he'll help us build it. But you don't have to be someone who doesn't look like you. What they tell you you need to be in order to make a huge impact. And you know I'm not here to soapbox. I think it's important to maintain your movement. Maintain your collective, your community, as I understand there is such a deep seated fear in communities of color. In terms of going outside of our comfort in getting to know things differently. Of security, but we need to surpass those things. In order to gain momentum and become stronger. There is no place for the fear. It is about how you walk into a room, how you command your presence, how you speak, how you hold your yourself, where you put your money, where you put your eyes, your time.

Speaker [00:06:34] You could binge watch another MTV. God knows what. Or watch The Real Housewives. Andy Cohen didn't say anything, Phil, about the 31st and it was definitely obligatory. You could do that. Or you could read about t-comp, which is a neo-Marxist movement. They have a book, Introduction, A Civil War, which we're in one. And it is in the city, if not outright armed all the time. But in southern places, in many places, there are men showing up who are not affiliated with any federal organization, who are not government officials, and that we no longer trust could have guns. But the men, there civilians, are armed and they are occupying protest spaces just to make sure everything's good. I don't know if anyone here. You don't have to want to use a gun to understand ways you can protect yourself. It's important to be able to do so when your life is threatened. And it would be silly of us moving forward to not look at movement like the young law and the Black Panthers who were doing this work and who were doing responsible work for the community but weren't demilitarize because they were black and became "it was scary" for non black people to fathom that the shift, there could be a shift and that all post wavery trauma. A friend of mine. I just want to share last we share with me and of course, everything. I'm not into generalizations, but it's interesting when you look at culture differently, white people don't know how to carry pain the way people of color have been breed.

Speaker [00:08:34] And so when they are angry, they lash out in ways that lacks dignity, integrity, and respect. And that is unacceptable, but we need to be prepared. We need to be aware, we don't need to be full of hatred. There are allies present here today or one who are forming. But we who understand our history and take all measures to ensure that this is a lasting peace. America has been in slavery all the time, it just looks different now.