San Diego Community Organizer Reflects On Week Of Protests

Speaker 1: 00:00 An estimated 2000 people marched from downtown San Diego through Hillcrest last night, capping off a week of protests here against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd was laid to rest yesterday. His service was marked by speeches, denouncing police brutality and racial bias. Speaker 2: 00:18 What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country and education and health services. And in every area of American life is time for us to stand up in charge's name and say kitchen ni of our fondant. Speaker 1: 00:40 It's been an extraordinary week around the country and here in San Diego, as we've seen police take action against largely peaceful protests and some long-held police tactics begin to crumble in the face of public outrage. Earlier this week, we spoke with one of the people who helped organize Sunday's protest in downtown San Diego, community organizer, Joshua Williams. He spoke about why so many people have now decided to March and speak their truth. Speaker 3: 01:08 I think this country all too often are taught to internalize their drama and not to speak up on their experience because it's too much of a crucial conversation. We can no longer be afraid to have these crucial conversations or we're going to allow it to build up to the point you're going to be back in the corner and it just explodes. And that's nobody wants that. Speaker 1: 01:28 Joshua Williams joins us again today. And Joshua, welcome back to the program. Speaker 4: 01:33 Thank you for having me back. I appreciate it. Speaker 1: 01:35 The protests haven't stopped. San Diego had his biggest March yet last night. So how do you see this protest developing here and around the country? Speaker 4: 01:44 I think dr. King said it best a protest is, is the language of the unheard. And as you see, not only in America, but in other nations as well, this is a human rights issue that people are standing for. The veil has been lifted, and I don't think we should take our foot off of the pedal until actual change, um, starts to sink in. And I think one of the things I definitely want to kind of speak on definitely the current climate that we are in right now with COVID and everything. I see this as the beginning of the first murmurs of COVID, but a little bit more extreme where, you know, uh, our, our American leadership was might've been put to known that this was going on around the world. We should take action now, you know, and then we put it off and then they left us scrambling in the midst of the pandemic. Speaker 4: 02:36 We are now found ourselves in another pandemic and it's actually throughout the world that this is the time now to be a part of progress and change to adapt to this changing climate and do something for all of our citizens, all of human kind throughout, uh, throughout the world. Um, and so I urge leaders to listen up and not only focused on the writing and the looting, but look more towards what's the why, why are people being driven there? You know, what are they actually saying in these protests? I'm definitely in the beginning, more peaceful portions of these protests and not allow this misdirection of flames going to get your attention, take you away completely from what the messages and what other people are asking for Speaker 1: 03:26 Joshua this week, 15 different law enforcement agencies in San Diego, including the SDPD and San Diego County Sheriff's department ban the use of the carotid restraint. Is that one of the things that you were calling for when you protested on Sunday? Speaker 4: 03:41 Definitely. And that's a start, that's a, that's a great start, but hearing that it's still shocking to me that that was even a means. That was, that was legal to be used when, when, when they're approaching civilians, you know, and definitely for like traffic stops and all that stuff. I think we need to do a better job of, you know, echoing a few things and kind of switching up the narrative, you know, and kind of bend the solution for crimes or infractions that don't meet that level of intensity, you know? And so other than one of the things I would even add to that is, you know, utilizing deescalation tactics and mediating the situation and exhausting, all other forms of force before was ordering to, to violence or to shootings. In addition to, if you do feel the need that you need to draw your firearm and some of these situations, let that be known, you know, don't shoot them, ask questions later. Cause at that point it's too, it's too late. Speaker 1: 04:40 Joshua also this week, the national guard has been brought into San Diego to provide extra security. What's your reaction to that news? Speaker 4: 04:51 It's a happy one to see being out there on the front lines on Sunday and seeing, I would say the better part of this nation standing solid solidarity peacefully for hours on hours on hand, and like leading that charge. It's terrifying to see that the national guard has to step in and cause I feel like we're still not being heard. And I think the more that conversation is met with force, the more destruction that's going to come, but gun violence only to get to more violence, you know? And so just as they're asking the American people, you know, to come and collect themselves, I think our leadership needs to recognize that they are need to hold themselves to the same center that they're asking their citizens for themselves. To. Speaker 1: 05:35 You talked about these protests being part of a crucial conversation about race and power in this country. You talked about black people finally speaking their truth after the protests died down, how does that conversation continue? Speaker 4: 05:50 It comes in use in your everyday lives. This discussion is not something only with black people are African Americans and law enforcement. This is a discussion that needs to be had, you know, in your places of work and your places of business in your homes, in the schools to one desensitize and provide open space for dialogue, but recognize the traumas that people are going through. You know, um, and I know a lot of companies are figuring out ways to have this conversation and seeing that it's, it's extremely difficult and there's a reason that it's difficult because it's been slipped on the word for 400 years, you know? Um, and so I'll just like urge to like get used to the uncomfortability progress comes up the edge of your comfort zone. And so if you're not uncomfortable about something we're not innovative and that's exactly what this nation was built on, Speaker 1: 06:44 Joshua, what was this week like for you Speaker 4: 06:47 this week is going to be a week that I'll never forget. Um, first and foremost, it was hard definitely going from that energy on Sunday, figuring out ways to focus on work one in time to reflect on the current state of our nation of our communities, of our cities. Um, but knowing that I still have to show face and do the job that you know, that I I've worked so hard to gain, you know, in my life, you know, and I think that that echoes for citizens everywhere, you know, trying to deal with the day to day while being professional, you know, and it's no right answer on how to navigate that. You know, I'd do it and maintain the best that I can, but what I'm finding more and more that this week has opened my eyes to is that I also need to just educate myself, look back into my history, you know, see what went wrong in past, um, civil rights movements. Speaker 4: 07:46 We know, what can we, what can we leverage? What can we improve upon? How can we, not only, um, how can we not only look at the destruction, but be a part of the solution? You know? So I feel like there's a lot of push conversations that I've been having with friends who are in law enforcement. You know, I was talking to a, um, a firefighter, you know, when I was grabbing lunch the other day and just trying to see what are these conversations like, you know, in their department. And it's something that everybody is pausing to have dialogue about. And that's something that I don't think has really ever happened before. Um, and definitely with the advancements of social media, it's at the forefront of everybody's screams and, um, viewpoints. So now it's figuring out ways to leverage that moment and make sure that we're planting the seeds to uproot the systemic, um, trauma that this nation has experienced over the generations. Speaker 1: 08:40 I've been speaking with San Diego community organizer, Joshua Williams, Joshua, thanks for taking the time. Thanks so much for having me again.