We were blessed and honored to get a few questions in before the election with the Kansas chapter of Black Lives Matter. The Chapter President, Pjay Carter, and Chapter Vice President, Courtland Davis are two outstanding leaders. Their organization has helped a number of people across the state and especially in Topeka.
There are links to a couple of our reports on these initiatives at the end. I found Pjay to be extremely upfront, intelligent, and thoughtful. He was gracious and always extremely professional, a consummate leader. His brilliance precedes him, and BLM is a truth he lives everyday. Here are the questions we asked.
We reach a black and white audience, our volunteers are made up of a melting pot of ethnicities, of our six volunteers, only one is white, all the rest are black, Hispanic and brown, all of them are involved in the BLM movement, two in other countries.
To start our conversation, what would you say to them, your opening statement to the movement?
Pjay Carter: GO VOTE !!!!!!!
What do you feel is the most misunderstood aspect of the Black Lives Matter movement in the country, especially your region?
Pjay Carter: That we are just looking for the same equality and justice afforded to everyone else.
There are so many voices in BLM right now, how do you keep yours focused on the vision and mission of the movement?
Mr. Carter: When something is important to you … you’ll prioritize it … you’ll keep your focus … this is based on my personal experience
What is your greatest hope for Black people?
Pjay Carter: To unite to gain equality and the justice that we fight for and begin to create generational well to pass on to our future
The movement is constantly bombarded with rationalizations and complaints from the “nice” white people. How do you approach that manufactured grievance?
Pjay Carter: I don’t… it’s not our job to educate White folks … We have allies and advocates that get it ( and we are so grateful for them ) and if it’s not a waste of time for them … they address those things
How did you become involved with BLM?
Pjay Carter: It was a matter of knowing my strengths and wanting to do the right thing …. mixed with being tired of being silent someone had to speak out …And since there were no other volunteers here I am …
Who is PJay Carter?
Pjay Carter could have been George Floyd Treyvon Martin and all the others lost to the hand of police brutality….
What is your hope for the future after the election in the coming months?
Pjay Carter: That Trump doesn’t try to take the country by force ….
Finally your closing thoughts.
* BLACK LIVES MATTER
* We are not anti police…
* We actually have a great relationship and communication with our current chief of police …