The feds labeling outspoken black activists as terrorists is nothing new. Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Martin Luther King Jr. are just a few civil rights leaders who were closely monitored and penalized by the government for exercising their First Amendment rights.
More recently, Rakem Balogun was targeted by the FBI, labeled a terrorist and yanked from his home in December 2017 as he and his 15-year-old child slept because of a Facebook post.
In response to Micah Johnson's July 2016 rampage in which he shot and killed five Dallas officers following the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, Balogun took to Facebook to share his sentiments.
According to an interview with Mic in episode 1 of the Mic Dispatch Facebook series, he wrote, "One man named Micah X brought the whole Dallas pig department to its knees, protesting police terrorism, and I stand with him."
Balogun, whose real name is Christopher Daniels, was held in jail and denied bail for over five months. He was released in May when the case flopped as prosecutors were unable to prove the activist is a terrorist. Because innocent.
Michael German, a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice, told Mic, "the only evidence prosecution and the judge would have had to justify holding him, was his political activity and online rhetoric, which seemed to be punishment for him, rather than an attempt to protect the public."
The Texas activist is reportedly the first person prosecuted under a secret surveillance program tracking "black identity extremists," according to The Guardian. The FBI initiated a "black identity extremists" (BIE) assessment following Johnson's deadly rampage.
Little did the social justice warrior Balogun know utilizing his freedom of speech as a black man would lead to a series of unfortunate events and run-ins with law enforcement. This would not only cause him to lose his house, car and job, but also his peace of mind.
"Ever since that moment, we have not been able to gain our peace back," Balogun told Mic.
"You know I’ve lost my job, my apartment, my car, you know, I lost the cohesiveness of my family and my children. And so, you know, every day it’s just a day of me trying to slowly regain that." — Rakem Balogun https://t.co/EfehJLfvUp pic.twitter.com/UoARoIjNnl— Mic (@mic) July 18, 2018
In his interview, Balogun tried to clear up the intent behind his support of Johnson.
"I can see why people would misconstrue that," he said. "I do have the First Amendment right to express my opinion — I have the First Amendment right to support someone who possibly killed somebody, and I have the right to not empathize with the dead, just like everyone else in this country."
While this is all true, it's even more important to understand he has the right not to be racially profiled. What the label BIE does, and what many black activists fear, is it could spark a ripple effect of the persecution of outspoken, black community leaders.
Balogun is the co-founder of two local Texas organizations: Guerrilla Mainframe and the Huey P. Newton Gun Club; both fight against police brutality and for the rights of black gun owners. Ultimately, a black man fighting for his rights is a threat to our government.
But justice will eventually prevail, and we will never be silenced, because as Balogun said: "We're going to keep our foot on the gas and keep moving forward."
Now, check these out:
Police Are The Real Problem: Why We Must Address Systemic Police Misconduct
Debbie Africa Becomes First Of The MOVE 9 To Be Freed From Prison 40 Years After Cop Shootout
