The saplings of the strange fruit trees are now maturing in Evanston, these saplings have been nurtured in the secret gardens of north Evanston for longer than anyone cares to remember by those who believe it is their duty to make sure the trees bare fruit. These saplings have been watered consistently by gardeners with water infused with the words, supremacy, oppression, hate, and racism. Planted in a soil of privilege and allowed to grow unchallenged under the watchful protection of a system that condones their growth without consequence.
Friday, we saw these trees in full bloom, laced with nooses, the very symbol of hate and racism. Nooses which are synonymous with lynching, used strike fear in the hearts of Black people, and a preview that a lynching is about to take place (so white folks get ready to put on your Sunday best so you can pose for the picture).
Nooses are a dog whistle, the quiet parts said out loud, the bat signal letting white folks know it’s time, and a warning to Black people to stay in their place. Nooses tell little white boys it’s okay to beat on a Black family’s door with a whip to beat their son. Nooses tell a white teenager that he can drive over 200 miles to commit mass murder in a store full of Black people because his “watering” included white supremacy and great replace theory, his tree has borne fruit with a yield of 10 Black bodies. Nooses now tell middle school white boys that it’s almost time to harvest, it’s okay to say the quiet parts out loud.
Evanston has always touted its diversity, but I call it “drive by diversity” a place where people can raise their kids to say, “I had black friends growing up…”, I wonder if the saplings have already grown out of that ruse.
