![]() We're talking about, of course, The Notorious B.I.G. And in most large cities, their murders are much less likely to be solved by the police.ĭEMBY: On this episode, we're talking about two of the most famous black men in America who were both gunned down in the late 1990s within just months of each other. MERAJI: Black people - and to a lesser extent, Latinos - were and are much, much more likely to be victims of homicide. MERAJI: But what hasn't changed is that this violence was not evenly distributed then, and it isn't now. In 1992, 2,600 people in Los Angeles were killed by someone else. It was just 289 homicides last year in 2018. So in 1990, New York City saw 2,000 reported homicides. And this was in Sacramento, Calif., and I was in junior high school.ĭEMBY: Wow. Two people right behind where I was sitting were shot and killed. And one of my most vivid childhood memories from the early '90s involves being pushed under a table at a wedding reception because someone came in and shot it up. Had the highest murder rate in the nation. Today, we think of Palo Alto and California's Bay Area as being synonymous with big tech, million-dollar homes. It's hard to remember just how bloody life in and near big cities was 25, 30 years ago. We talk a lot about gun violence these days, but homicide was so much more prevalent in the 1990s. I suffered through the years and shed so many tears.ĭEMBY: So much violence. TUPAC SHAKUR: (Rapping) Is there heaven for a G? Remember me - so many homies in the cemetery. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHED SO MANY TEARS") MERAJI: And not to bring down the vibe here, but we can't talk about the '90s without mentioning that it was also a very, very violent time. Rap song yep nope crack#NOTORIOUS BIG: (Rapping) Who the hell is this paging me at 5:46 in the morning? Crack of dawn, and now I'm yawning. MERAJI: And then a little bit later in the '90s, pagers. MERAJI: I was so good with the Pogo Ball.ĭEMBY: I wasn't. MERAJI: Yes, we did, and all that the '90s entailed - overalls, in my case (laughter).ĭEMBY: Did you wear the overalls without the - one of the straps undone? Shereen, you know, we both came up in the 1990s. I'm Shereen Marisol Meraji.ĭEMBY: And I'm Gene Demby. Rap song yep nope code#MERAJI: You're listening to CODE SWITCH from NPR. MERAJI: There will be some foul language in this episode. And one more time for good measure, thank you. And if coverage of race in public media is important to you and you find yourself thinking differently about conversations because of the stories that we do on CODE SWITCH, please consider donating to your public radio station. Seriously, y'all, thank y'all so much for rocking with us. Passing the baton to you.ĭEMBY: Oh, thank you. And we know that some of our listeners are, like, it's about time that we're talking about this. MERAJI: These can be challenging for some people. ![]() ![]() We are thankful that you tune into stories and discussions we're having about race in the U.S. MERAJI: We love you - the dedicated ones, the new ones. MERAJI: Anyway, I just wanted to say that both of us are incredibly grateful for our CODE SWITCH listeners. ![]() MERAJI: (Laughter) This never really happens. MERAJI: I was wondering if I could speak for you for a second, if you don't mind.ĭEMBY: Are you asking for my permission for once. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |