So a text I wrote 3 years ago about being detained by the police has gone viral again. Someone I don't know shared it on Facebook without the original link to the post. Here is is if you are interested. stevelocke.com/blog/i-fit-the… #ifitthedescription /1
For those who are worried, I'm fine. This was three years ago. A lot has happened since then and I'm fortunate that I have access to mental health care and friends and family who love me. #ifitthedescription /2
The internet is forever. A post that haven't thought about in years comes back and it humbles me that people are reaching out to me and telling me that they support me and that they were moved by what I wrote. #ifitthedescription /3
The whole point of writing #ifitthedescription was to put the experience in context, to show what goes through a person's head when they are in that kind of situation and to provide some insight into how people think. /4
While the emails and FB messages from people I do not know have been overwhelmingly supportive, some are from the throat of hell. As a result, I try not to read any mail I receive on this topic until I'm home and able to delete quickly. #ifitthedescription /5
Because this story was around in 2015, it was picked up by a lot of folks, who gave me proper attribution, links, and asked my permission. I'm proudest of the way it is used by @Tolerance_org tolerance.org/classroom-reso… #ifitthedescription /6
Also, the folks at @GoodMenProject featured it in 2015 in the Ethics and Values section, again with links back to my website and my work. goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/… #ifitthedescription /7
I want to stress that the links back are important. My work as an artist and a teacher is how I define myself, how I am in the world. I want people to know that about me, that an ARTIST actually framed the debate around policing in his life and their work. #ifitthedescription /8
Links back to original content allow readers to learn more about the content creator and see what else they have to offer, think, do, believe. Linkages are the way the internet allows us to find each other. #ifitthedescription /9
I'm glad this conversation is continuing. I'm glad that outlets like @BostonDotCom, @HuffPost, @GoodMenProject, @dailydot, @02130News, talked about this story at the time and have coverage that deals with policing and racial bias. #ifitthedescription /10
I'm also glad that @marty_walsh and former police commissioner William B. Evans reached out to me personally after the incident and we had a very frank conversation about policing in the city. #ifitthedescription /11
Also, I'm grateful to Shelly Kang and her troop of @girlscouts who reached out to me and began doing the real work of watching out for each other after they read my post. They are amazing young women. I'm glad I met them. stevelocke.com/blog/some-girl… /12 #ifitthedescription
Lastly, I am an artist and a teacher. If you want to know about my work, please point your browser to stevelocke.com. #ifitthedescription /end
