They Can’T Kill Us All By Wesley Lowery - Independent Book Review
Wesley Lowery was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio just near the coast of Lake Erie. He attended Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism, and soon after graduation landed a successful position working at the Boston Globe; An American based newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts, since its founding in 1872 by Charles H. Taylor. He was the lead of a team that obtained the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Currently, Lowery is a reporter who works with the Washington Post, covering race related incidents and acts of state violence, specifically in regards to the police force. He makes an attempt to connect with his readers and audience not just limited through his writing but through social media such as Snapchat and Twitter. Lowey’s most recognizable work is his reporting of the death of Michael Brown, an 18 year old Black male gunned down by a 28 year old white male police officer, Darren Wilson. He later went on to write and publish a book following his account on the Ferguson protests and death of Michael Brown by the title of “They Can’t Kill Us All”, was awarded the 2017 Christopher Isherwood Price for autobiographical prose by the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.
Award for national reporting, 2016 and Emerging Journalist of the Year, National Association of Black Journalists, 2014. In addition to these accomplishments, he is also affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists, Ida B. Wells Society. He has an immense understanding of political, diversity, media, metro and business news with a ton of experience reporting about it. Although did write and focus on Washington and politics before his focus on police violence and situations related to racism. The value of black life and black bodies are an essential component discussed throughout the words and pages within the book. It began with Wesley Lowery working and eating at McDonalds; a place where many journalists go to work due to the convenience of their free wifi, quick affordable food and electrical outlets. When suddenly customers were immediately forced to clear out of the fast food place following acts of violence and protests in the city of Ferguson ordered by the Police. Lowery was not fortunate enough to be able to exit quickly that's when he was shoved against a soda dispenser and went through unjust arrestment.
This part outraged because it’s an everyday reminder of the mistreatment of black bodies and law enforcement. This also further correlates with why my wording specifically says black bodies instead of black people, its intention is being to denote the inhumane treatment received by the people being referred to aka Black people. When Lowery asked the what the reason to his arrest was, he didn’t get an appropriate response rather an ignorant comment. When Lowery told one of the officers he’ll be on the front page of the Washington Post, the officer said “Yeah, well” then replied with a smirk and said “You’re going to be sleeping in our jail cell tonight” (Lowery, Wesley 11) which is frustrating, these cops have a job to serve the community they’re supposed to protect but rather do the complete opposite instead.
“We live in a country where police violence is a pervasive fixture of daily life, not a problem plaguing some distant locale. ” (Lowery, Wesley 134) this is theme of the book, racial injustice and police violence. The fight for racial injustice isn’t a new concept especially in a country like the United States, a country found on the blood and forced labor of Black and Indigenous bodies. The fight for America’s racial injustice movement today such as #BlackLivesMatter has its roots and origin in the Civil Right Movement. BLM continues the fight for racial equality and civil rights whether it’s through rallies and demonstrations. In order to clearly better comprehend the status of BLM and Black activists in modern day
