[Peace] Bourgeois Blues in Champaign

[Brian Dolinar]

 [image: The News-Gazette.com] Need to address racism in community Friday
April 4, 2008

On a visit to Washington, D.C., to record for the Library of Congress, the
late black folk musician Lead Belly was so discriminated against that he
wrote a song condemning the city, "The Bourgeois Blues." "The home of the
brave / The land of the free / I don't wanna be mistreated by no
bourgeoisie."

Last week I was mortified to read about conviction of a visitor to our town,
Brian Chesley, 18, of Rantoul, on counts of resisting and obstructing a
peace officer. Having read the original article concerning the incident, I
believe he was guilty of showing attitude and walking away from a police
officer, and that his treatment and arrest were unwarranted. That he was
convicted by a jury has me deeply worried about the state of race relations
in our community. We have so many positive characteristics to our town with
many talented and committed people working every day to make it even better
but all of this is wasted if we allow the cancer of racism to remain
untreated in our community.

"I tell all the colored folks to listen to me / Don't try to find you no
home in Washington, DC / 'Cause it's a bourgeois town."

I call on Judge John Kennedy to make a statement for our community by
imposing the minimum sentence.

I call on fellow community members to address racism when they see it. I
don't want to live in a bourgeois town, and I'm sure you don't either.

JESSE SPENCER SMITH

Champaign
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-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com
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