how the media portrayed the unarmed Michael Brown, 18, shot to death by “police officer” Daren Wilson in 2014. “I’ve never seen a white body left in the street for four hours in the sweltering heat. The cop doesn’t call in the shooting. The body isn’t put in an ambulance. It’s shuttled away in some shady, unmarked SUV. There is a lot of bizarre behavior going on, and that is the story. That’s where we need journalism. That’s where we need that element of our society to kick in to gear and not just play a loop of what the kid may have done in a convenience store…This idea that because he stole a handful of cheap cigars, what’s that worth five bucks? I’ve lived in the white suburbs of this country for a long time. I know plenty of white kids who steal stuff from the convenience store. This idea that every time a black person does something, they automatically become a thug worthy of their own death. We don’t own drug crimes. We’re not the only ones who sell and do drugs all the time. We’re not the only ones who steal. We’re not the only ones who talk crazy to cops. There’s a complete double standard and different experience that a certain element of this country has the privelage of. They’re treated like human beings. And others aren’t.” In October of the same year, Williams joined thousands in Ferguson, Missouri to protest the shooting of Michael Brown.
Williams has used his Twitter platform, in which he has over one million followers, to discuss social injustices. Most recently he has tweeted about the Sandra Bland case, in which Bland was unlawfully jailed, only to be found dead in her cell days later. This is still an ongoing case. Williams makes it known how he feels about it.
“Some thoughts on Sandra Bland & millions of Americans exhausted by paid servants destroying instead of defending lives. And those reflexively parroting weak slogans; squealing for violence & murder from behind a centuries-old wall of perfectly visible privilege. This country is FULL of Americans who actively exercise their rights when given unlawful, unclear orders by police. Refusing to roll down windows, present ID, hand over assault rifles, answer ANY questions, etc. Without fail, when select Americans exercise their rights, message boards FILL w praise for the resisting citizen & mockery of police. A select segment of Americans are granted the privilege of being able to resist said tyranny, scream at it, punch, shove or elude it. For membership consideration, this club has ONE requirement: the citizen(s) resisting police/the law/status quo must be white. Every time the story involves a black citizen, doing far less, presumed guilt BEGINS as their’s to shed. But one cannot shed blackness. Blackness turns “awesome!” or ‘badass!’ to ‘thug’ faster than a speeding bullet. Whiteness turns villain to hero in a flash. As we well know, police are not THE law. They swear to UPHOLD & ENFORCE the law in a professional, courteous manner, whenever possible. You can’t arrest someone for “resisting arrest.” That’s bullshit. Clearly state the charge & when resisted, that’s an additional charge. WE DO NOT BEGIN AS POLICE PROPERTY, to be freed or detained based on some guy’s mood or feeling. We are not theirs. Police weapons & cuffs do not dissolve if we don’t like their attitude. Our rights should remain intact if they’re displeased w/ ours.” He goes on to say much more.
What makes Jesse Williams courageous is not just the fact that he is outspoken, but also because he has an established career on TV and movies. He could easily get “black listed”, which means that he wouldn’t be able to find work as an actor. Once the industry deems you as “difficult” to work with or as “unfavorable” because of the subject matter that you talk about, it is virtually impossible to find work in that field. But Jesse Williams doesn’t think twice about his statements because he really feels that way. Besides, it’s the truth.