We find ourselves, as a nation, in a nauseating position.
In the hours before Memphis police released video of the beating death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, cable-news anchors, filling some of their copious time, spoke of the police footage as “hours away from release,” “soon to come,” and with other terms typically reserved for sporting events, major political speeches, and moments of scandal. The city, newscasters said, was on edge. Memphis’s Black female police chief, Cerelyn Davis, and surrounding Shelby County’s District Attorney Steve Mulroy, a white man and Democrat, have been lauded for their comparatively swift, decisive action. Before footage of the beating was released, the five Black officers involved in Nichols’ Jan. 7 beating were fired and indicted on multiple charges including official misconduct and…