In a somewhat surprising move, comedian and relative political activist Dave Chappelle put together a surprise show to a semi-small audience during the stay-at-home order (yes, the show was properly orchestrated to abide by and follow the order). The show, which is on Netflix’s YouTube channel (as shown above) is a reflection of how much of the United States and possibly the world feels towards the corruption of the police and the injustice brought down upon the innocent by the very people who were sworn to uphold it.
“We saw ourselves like you see yourself”
Dave Chappelle, who is always someone you can count on to speak his mind in his sets, did so in a very powerful way this time around. While you would expect comedy from a comedian, the focus on this special was to speak the truth, to open the eyes of the unopened, and to help paint a broad yet detailed picture of the suffering of men in America. Now, this goes far beyond just police brutality, it goes far beyond the systemic racism that can be found if you look over your shoulder, and it goes far beyond George Floyd. However, we are all men and women and while Floyd’s unjust murder at the hands of the police that should have protected his very life, as men and women we owe it to ourselves to stand together in solidarity for at the very least, the purpose of trying to wipe-out the unjust.
Chappelle goes on to highlight that you should not care what a celebrity thinks, that you don’t need him [Chappelle] right now, as no one wants to hear what their favorite comedian thinks after seeing a police officer kneeling on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Dave adds that while he was silent for so long in regards to this atrocity, his silence is not due in part to anything other than respecting everyone’s position in the matter and not being one of the celebrities out there standing for moral posturing or making it about themselves. All that said, Dave Chappelle, as a black American, can only stay silent for so long.
“These streets will speak for themselves”