The murder of Stephon Clark by police invoked the warrior spirit within his brother Stevante and the young brother hit the streets with his thunder like voice of oppressed rage. He took his fight all the way to the council denouncing police terror and the death of his brother.
Stevante Clark made news again but this time not as the unyielding protester but as the defendant making his way to the courtroom with a smile, cheerfully cooperative. His appearance in court stems from a call his roomates made last month to police reporting that Stevante was acting irrational and was allegedly armed with machete and hammer ending with the destruction of the apartment he shared with others.
He was released on O.R after two felonies were reduced to misdemeanors with the condition that he stay away from any people he have threatened. He was also told not to abuse the 911 system and to only call for emergencies only.
There were concerns raised about Stevante’s mental health since the death of his brother Stephon and during the proceedings it was suggested that Mr. Clark seek mental health services although it is not confirmed whether or not he followed through. Stevante Clark’s next hearing is on May 9th.
When my younger brother Marcus was killed I cannot say that I was a normal, functioning person especially when dealing with all the horrors involved with all what happened to him. I also can’t say that his black life mattered, mine neither in the city of San Francisco and he is one of the many dark clouds that hangs over this nation as another “one less”
It is said that when people are scared they do tend to act irrationally, but what about the reaction to racial hatred and the death of the loved one who may never get any “justice”
How is Stevante Clark supposed to feel? Set aside the whispers of his alleged bipolar disorder and schizophrenia- a person’s diagnosis does not excuse all of the disorders of the world in which a person has to live in on black eggshells.
Diagnosis, stereotypes, stygmas and racism have always played a hand in the reasons why a poor person has lost his or her life in this country, instead of helping in the healing progress of a whole nation, it is the cowboy way to just brand em’ and shoot em’ without any consequenses.
That way of thinking is also a mental illness.