WASHINGTON — The sister of Jacob Blake, the man shot seven times in the back by two Kenosha, Wisconsin police officers while his kids were in the back seat of a car, spoke Saturday at the March on Washington.
Letetra Widman gave a powerful speech, which included her sadness and frustrations over the shooting of her brother last Sunday.
"America, unapologetically I am here to tell you in front of the world, that you got the right one. God has been preparing me. America, your reality is not real," said Widman in her speech. "Catering to your delusions is no longer an option. We will not pretend. We will not be your slave. We will not be a first door to our oppression. Most of all, we will not dress up this genocide and, boo, police brutality."
"Black America, I hold you accountable. You must stand. You must fight but not with violence and chaos, with self-love. Learn to love yourself Black people," added Widman.
The shooting of Blake happened around 5 p.m. Sunday and was captured from across the street on the video. Kenosha police do not have body cameras but do have body microphones.
In the footage, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned.
The family attorney for the 29-year-old said Tuesday he is paralyzed and it would “take a miracle” for him to walk again.
The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation's latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest.
The shooting drew condemnation from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who also called out 125 members of the National Guard on Monday after protesters set cars on fire, smashed windows and clashed with officers in riot gear the previous night.