By C J Waldron

Fromer CNN reporter Don Lemon was arrested for reporting on a protest that took place in a church in Minneapolis. At least that’s how the charges were presented. The fact of the matter is, Lemon, who is gay and Black, was arrested because he dared to defy the authority of white lawmakers. In other words, he got uppity.

Getting uppity is a phrase used by whites when they feel they have been challenged or otherwise disrespected by a Black man. It is typically followed by the N word as both a warning and a threat. And the consequences for getting uppity can be fatal.

Lemon was in Minneapolis to cover the disturbances caused by the presence of ICE agents who had the stated mission of rounding up illegal immigrants, but whose true purpose was to intimidate the Democratic population of the city. When the paster of a local church was also revealed to be one of those agents, Lemon went along with a group of protestors who wanted the flock to be aware of his association.

Lemon identified himself as a reporter and stated that he was not present to take part in any protest, but merely to report on it. He interviewed some involved and that was supposed to be all there was.

Unfortunately, the DOJ didn’t see it that way.  They felt Lemon was getting uppity by daring to enter a church despite ICE agents being guilty of doing the very same thing. When judges refused to swear out an arrest warrant, the DOJ took the matter to a grand jury to get an indictment.

Lemon remained visible up to the time of his arrest. He was taken into custody, along with another Black journalist, as he was about to cover the Grammy’s. He made no attempt to hide his whereabouts. As a matter of fact, following his release, Lemon appeared on Jimmy Kimmel to reveal that he offered to voluntarily surrender to authorities.

But that wasn’t good enough for Trump’s DOJ. They wanted to embarrass Lemon for getting uppity. They wanted to shame him by having him do the perp walk as he was handcuffed and paraded in front of the media. Trump himself said that Lemon’s arrest was the best thing that could have happened to him because he got his name on the front page.

And perhaps Trump is right. After all, Trump is certainly getting a lot of attention for the thousands of times he is referenced in the heavily redacted Epstein files.

In these times when white supremacists openly display their racism with their swastikas and Confederate flags, getting uppity can be deadly. Emmitt Till was murdered for getting uppity by allegedly whistling at a white woman. Martin Luther King was surveilled by the FBI and eventually assassinated for the crime of being uppity.

In the South, it was common for a Black man who was accused of being uppity to be awoken by the sight of a burning cross in their front yard which was to serve as a warning. If this went unheeded, they were dragged from their homes and lynched like the Strange Fruit in the Billie Holiday song.

Now we are seeing a resurgence of this form of intimidation. When a reporter, particularly a Black reporter, is arrested for exercising their First Amendment rights, the shadows of racism creep in.

Don Lemon was not arrested for reporting the news. Nor was he arrested for entering a church. He was arrested for getting uppity in the face of Trump’s DOJ.

Fortunately, we have a solution for this type of treatment.  As we recognize Black History Month, we can look to the past and the leaders who faced off against this oppression. We can look to Martin Luther King, Jr. and his Legacy of non-violent protests. We can look to Rosa Parks who refused to bow to unfair practices. We can look to those who took a stand by sitting down at the Woolworth’s lunch counter.

And we can look to Civil Rights icon John Lewis, who turned the tables on his White oppressors by calling getting uppity “Good Trouble”.

Lean to the Left is a progressive media platform offering political commentary, fact-based news analysis, and expert interviews that expose threats to democracy and hold leaders accountable. Founded in 2017 as Not Fake News and rebranded in 2021, Lean to the Left brings together the work of journalist and author Bob Gatty and a talented team of contributing writers who deliver sharp, insightful content on the issues affecting Americans today.

Our podcast—launched as NFN Radio News before becoming The Lean to the Left Podcast—features weekly interviews with authors, activists, Experts, and political insiders, along with hard-hitting commentary on the challenges facing our nation.

Lean to the Left: Stay Informed. Speak Up. Join the Conversation.

Bob Gatty Author, Podcaster, Blogger

For many years, Bob Gatty worked as a writer, editor, and communications consultant, based on the Washington, DC area with a focus on government and politics. He began at The Pittsburgh Courier, an African American weekly, covering crime and the courts. His salary was $55 per week before moving on to two local Pennsylvania dailies. At age 24, he began reporting for United Press International covering state politics in Pennsylvania and then New Jersey, where he was UPI’s state capitol bureau in Trenton.

Tempted by the allure of Washington, DC and big-time politics, at age 29 Bob became press secretary and chief of staff for two Congressmen – first Republican Edwin B. Forsythe, and then Democrat James J. Florio, who later became governor of New Jersey and until his recent death was a frequent podcast guest and co-host of Bob’s NFN Radio News podcast (now called Lean to the Left).

After seven years on Capitol Hill, Bob opened a communications business in Washington, first providing political media consulting to candidates and then freelance Washington coverage for business and trade magazines, plus creative communications services for trade and professional associations, including social media. This work involved articles and analyses of key governmental developments affecting businesses, such as the food and Health industries, retailing, and the environment.

His work as a communications consultant to trade and professional associations included launching and editing association publications, providing website content and social media assistance, and covering conferences and conventions.

Bob retired from G-Net Strategic Communications in 2016 and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC, where he launched his blog site, first called Not Fake News, now known as Lean to the Left.

Hijacked Nation
In August, 2020, Bob and co-author Chris Waldron, one of Lean to the Left's most loyal and prolific contributor, published "Hijacked Nation-Donald Trump's Attack on America's Greatness," a two-volume compilation of blogs regarding Trump's presidency and the consequences for our nation. A followup volume was published by Luna Global Media in September 2024. It is available at https://amzn.to/4ePrTF7 .

In all three volumes, blogs from Not Fake News and Lean to the Left create a virtual play-by-play of key actions of the Trump administration and Congress. For more information, please visit https://leantotheleft.net/books/, and visit Bob's Author's Page on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gatty/author/B08C7HWXZ5?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4e603563-7251-4074-b54d-40800c4ce40a.

The Lean to the Left Podcast
The Lean to the Left podcast provides commentary and interviews with newsmakers and others with interesting stories to tell. Video and audio podcasts stream twice weekly on major channels. More info at https://podcast.leantotheleft.net.

The Lean to the Left YouTube Channel
You'll find all of the audio tracks for the Lean to the Left Podcast here plus original videos, including complete video versions of each podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/@LeantotheLeft.