How Aaron McGruder Predicted The Events In Ferguson

Aaron McGruder has long been a polarizing figure for many. The creator of The Boondocks and Black Jesus has always excelled in providing entertainment to many while proving a nuisance to some.His status as nuisance comes from his ability to paint important issues in a light that some may find unflattering, no matter how true it may be. The issues he addresses sadly remain relevant long after episodes have stopped airing and comics have been discarded.

Recently civil unrest has taken hold of Ferguson, Missouri. After the murder of an unarmed teenager Michael Brown for simply walking in the street by police officer Darren Wilson. An already tense situation has been constantly made worse by a severely incompetent police department. Michael Brown's body was left in the street for four hours after his death. There were countless witness statements by civilians describing the situation that have been ignored. An initial autopsy has been overturned by two subsequent autopsies. The police released video of what they claimed was a robbery Michael Brown had committed earlier. The owner of the store stated it wasn't a robbery but an argument about ID. At the same time the police admitted Darren Wilson had no idea a robbery had taken place. Police have used excessive force almost every day with some people being tear gassed for standing in their own yards. Media has been forced out and arrested, citizens have even been shot. Witness statements also state there was another officer at the scene who didn't fire a single shot. Most recently the prosecutor refused to suggest charges to the grand jury.

Since then protest have taken place that have divided the country into many segments. Some people point out that black on black violence is an issue that should be focused on. Ferguson is a city that is over 70% black and didn't have a single homicide until Michael Brown. Some people, such as Bill O'Reilly points to looting as proof that the citizens of Ferguson, and thus Michael Brown, are disorderly and uncivil. While there has been looting, there has not been a single arrest of a person from Ferguson and the protest haven't been peaceful with few incidents of rioting or violence. While people harp on this they don't talk about events such as gang members stepping in to stop the looting.

You're most likely wondering what any of this has to do with Aaron McGruder. Unfortunately, McGruder predicted all of this. During season one of The Boondocks, two episodes in particular paint an unsettling picture, episode nine "Return of The King" and episode fourteen "The Block Is Hot." In "The Block is Hot," Uncle Ruckus is shot when the police mistake his neon orange safety wallet is mistaken for a gun. When he pulls out his backup wallet he's beaten by the police. Despite the fact that he called the police they assumed he was a criminal because he was the only black person around. In Ferguson that happens a lot. During one year majority of the citizens have their homes raided. In one case Henry Davis was arrested for a false warrant, he was then beaten, but he wasn't released. Instead he was charged with destruction of property for bleeding on the officers' uniforms while he was being beaten. At the end of "The Block is Hot," Ruckus who has become an honorary police officer is again beaten by the police because he's standing around.

In the episode "Return of The King," Martin Luther King Jr. didn't die but was in a coma. He awakens out of his coma only to be discouraged by the changes in the black community. When he returns many people try to ride the hype train for their own appeal. However when he says that America should simply turn the other cheek after the September 11th attacks he becomes an outcast and public uproar takes place. This is how Ferguson begins to relate. The president speaks out against the actions but people either think it was wrong to speak or he didn't speak enough. Similar to President Obama's statement on Ferguson. Celebrities get involved but don't bring anything of value to the table, take your pick between Keke Palmer, Nelly, DJ Khaled or anyone else. There are people who use the tragedy as a way to profit. Jesse Jackson has more money than anyone in Ferguson but stood there boldly and asked for donations, he was rightfully booed out of the city. Meanwhile Diddy attempted to sell vodka during all of this.

Lastly, in his speech at the end of the episode MLK states "Niggers procrastinate until it's time to worry! Niggers love to be late, niggers hate to hurry!" Nobody in Ferguson attempted to handle the issue of constant police brutality and abuse of power until the death of Michael Brown. People are now discussing the importance of voting. Ferguson is over 70% black but there's only one minority in any government position for the city. Nobody thought to vote before hand, but now everyone realizes the importance.

Aaron McGruder is a master of painting our disheartening reality in comedic ways. It's also sad that he predicted and depicted the events in Ferguson eight years before they took place. Have we become that predictable as a race, or have we simply given up on that fight that our grandparents started fifty years ago?

You can hear Darrell on the CP Time and Powerbomb Jutsu podcasts.
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