Drick Boyd's Blog
In Response to the Police Shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.
As I write this there is the second night of protests in response to the police killing of 27-year-old Walter Wallace Jr. in West Philadelphia. If ever there was an argument for defunding the police and redistributing those funds to mental health services, this is it....
Indigenous People’s Day – A Reflection
Today (October 11) is Indigenous People’s Day. Formerly called Columbus Day, this day has gained increasing recognition as we have become aware of the atrocities against indigenous people by Columbus and later the American colonists. Today seven states recognize...
Donald Trump and Institutional Racism
Donald Trump’s Confusion Donald Trump is confused. Just before Labor Day he criticized programs dealing with white privilege and critical race theory and said he didn’t think that institutional racism exists in his government. Months earlier had admitted to Bob...
What is Critical Race Theory?
The Memo On Friday, September 4, 2020 President Trump had a memo sent out from the White House Office of Management and Budget directing all Federal agencies to cancel any and all antiracism trainings. He referred to these trainings as un-American, divisive...
Denying Something Doesn’t Exist Doesn’t Make it Go Away
He denied the Russians interfered in the 2016 elections; Robert Mueller proved they did. He denied that there was such a thing as climate change, and yet during his years in office there have more and stronger storms and wildfires than ever before, proving it does...
Why I Ride for MS… and Why You Should Consider Supporting Me
Every year for the past 6-7 years I have taken part in the MS Ride either in New Jersey of Delaware. When I started I joined a team called Ansley Photo founded by a man named Kevin Ansley. Kevin was the owner of the photo store, an avid biker, and a man living with...
Pursuing Restorative Justice
This past spring (2020) I had the opportunity to teach a course on Restorative Justice to undergraduate students. In preparation for the course, I read The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice by Fania Davis. In the book Davis reports on her work in Oakland,...
Summer 2020 Reflections
The past several months have been a whirlwind of change, fear, anger, and anticipation. In mid-March, everything closed down and we were sent into self-imposed quarantine, advised to keep a social distance, wear masks and hopefully wait out a rising pandemic. By May...
In Memory of C.T. Vivian and John Lewis
On Friday, July 17 two giants of the Civil Rights Movement and of U. S. history died. While many others far better qualified than me will write and speak their eulogies, I want to share what C. T. Vivian and John Lewis meant to me. I was deeply saddened by the news of...
In Praise of Social Justice: A Response to David Brooks
David Brooks is a New York Times columnist whose writings I generally find to be thoughtful and insightful. He is the author of five books that deal with the importance of developing personal character and a regular commentator on National Public Radio. He is what I...
Racist is a Condition, Not an Accusation
A Condition Not an Accusation "Racist” is a word we are hearing a great deal these days: the cops are racist, Confederate monuments are racist, the President is racist, our country was built on racist principles. Moreover, white people are being challenged by Black,...
What Would a Post-Police Society Look Like?
But then I had another thought: What would a post police society look like?
Are We At The Growing Edge?
The Last Two Weeks As I write this, it has been two weeks since George Floyd was choked to death by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin; two weeks since Chauvin’s partners quietly looked on as he held Floyd down with his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46...
Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd – Why White People Need to Talk About Them
Three Dates, Three Incidents, Three Deaths On February 23 of this year at about 1 pm, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old African-American man was jogging through a neighborhood in Brunswick, GA. Two white man, seeing him run by, chased,shot, and killed him. The two white...
Of Trees and Flowers
It Started with a Song Over 45 years ago, I wrote a song about trees. Trees have always moved me for some reason. One summer between years at college I worked for a landscaping company in Spokane, Washington. I was fascinated by the tall, stately pine trees that...