In the past week the world has been reminded of my hometown, Bloomington Indiana. Sadly, for the same reasons it has many times in the past. A racial attack on another human took place.
It’s a little personal this time however, as the person who was attacked is someone I know of. Someone I have interacted with, and someone I equivocally believe and stand by.
At this point, the videos have went viral, the stories have been told. I am not going to regurgitate what has already been said. I’m going to explain to you how someone I first thought of as a troublemaker, an instigator, is someone I always believed.
Vauhxx Booker came to prominence (to me) as a member of Black Lives Matter. At the time, they were primarily making noise by interrupting city and county council meetings, and essentially ending a “state of the city” address. This was how I saw this man for a very long time.
I didn’t understand, nor appreciate the actions of the group at the time. I felt this was not a “proper” or “just” way to cause any meaningful change. That was of course because I hadn’t really opened my mind to the struggle the African American community has faced for hundreds of years.
After these events, Vauhxx ran for a position on the City Council. I couldn’t vote for him, but that was a move I appreciated – and wanted to see him win. The city council is full of people with ties to the university and lacking people of color.
This is when I came to know Vauhxx, as he was brought on board of a Facebook group I co-moderate. He was a loud voice for positions and issues most of us would have never thought about. He was unapologetic and brash in calling out people on their inherent biases and racial points of view. He added friction in a space that previously did not, but we all respected his voice and did not deny his right to speak his mind.
Over a few months, it was decided that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, and he was removed as a moderator. Our collective still respected the man however, the split was not made out of anger or haste.
At some point, he also joined one of the many commissions in the county, sitting on the Human Rights Commission. That actually inspired me, as I have reached out multiple times about joining local commissions and boards, to be more actively involved in my own community.
Vauhxx may be a well known person in my community, but he isn’t well liked by all. As witness to my previous words, I wasn’t exactly his biggest fan. He has a slight criminal record, as do I. None of us are perfect, and I don’t expect him to be either. As far as I’m concerned, all of the slanderous things being said of him at this point are just that, slander, victim blaming or apologist on behalf of white supremacy.
When I saw his facebook post that went viral, I did not doubt any facts. Nor did I doubt any of his narrative. I am sure he wrote it as soon as he could to provide a narrative in the moment. As soon as friends created a gofundme for him, I gave $500 as well as offering to cover any and all costs he might need help with for mental health services.
While I’ve never personally witnessed such behavior, I do not deny them happening. I never have. Our community has came out to support him in ways that have made me proud to be a Bloomingtonian. At the same point, there are many on the periphery of my life who have made statements that make me question their place in my life.
My mind processes things slowly. This however, I do not question. There have been too many lives lost for reasons that are without cause. There are too many lives that have been ruined by the judicial system that has imposed undue fines and even heavier prison sentences. I am proud to see society, during the middle of a pandemic, fight for this. While my physical restrictions make it unable for me to protest in the heat – I am there in spirit with you, by your side.