NATIONAL NEWS NETWORK SPECIAL REPORT

Anchor: Kristen Blum is live in Underhill tonight. Let’s return to the live feed. Kristen, how are you doing out there?

Blum: We’ve gotten clear of the tear gas cloud. It’s—well, it’s chaos out here. I’m with—tell me your name?

Black Youth: I gotta?

Blum: I’m here with a young man who’s attending the protest. What’s it about for you tonight?

Black Youth: We here, standing up for all the oppressed people of the world, starting right here in Underhill. We standing up for the people who can’t get justice under this legal system. We standing for all of us who afraid to walk the streets. Today for Shae, Tomorrow for All.

Blum: What’s that liquid you’re pouring on your face?

Black Youth: It’s milk. To help the stinging. We was told to bring it.

Blum: Protestors have been advised to carry milk?

Black Youth: Yeah, man. We knew we was gonna get gassed.

Blum: What does it feel like? How are you feeling?

Black Youth: It burns. My eyes are gonna be okay, right? (pounds his chest) Here, not so much. They gunning for us, man. They coming to kill us all.

Blum: Why are you protesting tonight?

Black Youth: There’s only so much a guy can take, yo. Sh-*beep* like this goes down, you gotta scream out.

Blum: Were you surprised by the verdict?

Black Youth: Hell no. We knew. They always do us like this. When you live in the hood you ain’t expect justice. You expect to have to fight. That’s all we out here trying to—

Black Woman: (appears behind Blum) All you people watching! All you white suburban news junkies. You all complicit! All of you!

Blum: Ma’am, hello. Do you have a comment—

Black Woman: Every last mother-*beep*-ing one of you. Sitting at home, shaking your head. We down here getting gassed, mother-*beep*-ers! When you gonna get off your fat *beep* *beeeeeeeep*—

Anchor: Uh, we’re gonna mute the live feed for a moment. Clearly people are extremely angry surrounding tonight’s grand jury verdict. For those just tuning in, we’re live with Kristen Blum in Underhill, where earlier tonight the grand jury returned no indictment for Officer Darren Henderson in the shooting death of thirteen-year-old Shae Tatum. Let’s just wait until … okay, here we are live on scene again. Kristen?

Blum: Uh, sorry for the interruption, folks. We’re live in Underhill, and the situation is going downhill rapidly.

Black Youth: She ain’t wrong, yo. Tonight we speaking truth and we speaking it loud. No time for bullsh-*beep*.

Blum: (looks at the sky) Police continue to fire tear gas into the crowd, trying to get people to disperse.

Black Youth: (pulls up bandanna over his mouth) Gotta go.

Blum: Thank you. Good luck out there.

We can try to get a little closer to the action … well, here come some more folks. Excuse me, sir. You live in this neighborhood?

Black Man: Born and raised. We seen a lot. We can’t stand for it no more.

Blum: What brings you out here tonight? Why was it important to be here?

Black Man: This is my neighborhood. I’m here for my neighbors, the Tatums. That’s a good family.

Blum: You live near the Tatums?

Black Man: Same building. They ain’t deserve this. Ain’t nobody deserves this.

Blum: Sir, what can you tell me—

Black Man: I’m out. You be safe, white lady.

Blum: I will. You too.

Black Man: Naw. I can’t. The point is, you already BE safe. You white.

Blum: I don’t think anyone in Underhill feels particularly safe at the moment.

Black Man: (smiles) You the one with the camera. You keep it rolling, you hear?

Blum: We will.

Black Man: If they take us all down, you be the one left standing. You make sure the world knows what they done to us here tonight. You stay safe, white lady.

Blum: Stay safe, black man.

Black Man: (grinning) You wanna lay odds?