The family of Eric Garner, Esaw his wife and Emerald his daughter, were joined by Reverend Al Sharpton and gave a very authentic interview to the Power 105’s The Breakfast Club. Following the one-year anniversary of Eric’s death, they spoke on Eric’s last day alive before being choked out by a cop. Esaw says he was sneezing that day and already having difficulty breathing due to asthma and sinus issues.
‘I can’t make no money in the house babe, I’m going out…He looked back at me and he said, ‘Babe give me a kiss’ – I’ve been married to him for 28 years and he never asked me for a kiss [like that].’
Her son was the one that told her initially about the incident. He went to borrow $20 dollars from her and she said he came back in the house very soon after, then he said you should call dad. That is when phone numbers she does not even recognize begin to pour in telling her she needs to go to the hospital.
‘But as I’m riding to the hospital, the tears start to flow, because after you’re married to somebody for so long it’s like a kindred spirit, you know when something’s wrong. And I said to my girlfriend, ‘He’s no longer here with us’
Esaw says she sat in the hospital for two hours not knowing the condition of her husband. When the doctors did finally come out to tell her that Eric Garner had died, she claims to have blacked out and did not remember how she got home. She also recalls telling her children about him dying and that her son’s entire aura had changed. Then when the video was released showing him being chocked out by the officer, the family says they can not watch it in its entirety still.
I only saw up to the second ‘I can’t breathe,’ then my kids were like ‘no, Mom’. I still haven’t seen past the ‘I can’t breathe,’ I just can’t watch it…Every time that something happens with the police, it’s like they’re using this video as an example, but you have no compassion that I’m watching my husband die over and over again.
The Garner family received settlement money of $5.9 million which is somewhat insulting to price a person’s life. She was asked if she could even enjoy it knowing where it came from. With a very honest answer she said yes, but she much rather spend it with him.
I would give it up in a heartbeat to have my husband back. I’m not gonna say it was perfect by a longshot. But he was perfect for me and I was perfect for him…They think it’s okay to pay us. ‘Give ’em some money, they’ll shut up.’ I’m not gonna shut up. I don’t care how much money I get, I’m going to keep running my mouth ’til i can’t run it no more, ’til there’s justice for me, Trayvon Martin… all these young guys that were taken unarmed.
Rev. Al Sharpton was also reiterated that they are working on getting financial advisers and that he has nothing to do with the money. Sharpton mentioned how he has seen the racial climate over the years and that the difference now opposed to thee 80’s and 90’s was the technology. He also responded to critics of his by saying he never shows up anywhere he has not been asked to. One of those people who has been against Sharpton is presidential candidate Donald Trump.
He’s very thin skinned, he’s like a bully, he cannot take a punch…He can talk about everybody, but when you attack him, he just loses it…he’s an “Apollo Theater act trying to play Lincoln Center
Sharpton explains that quote as something the late great James Brown told him about the difference between a lounge performer and the main room. In the lounge show you are competing against the bar and people talking you do what you have to do so you can get attention. In the main room you have to be really good and know what your are doing as they are there to actually see and hear you.
With the 2016 presidential election coming up, Rev. Al Sharpton said:
I think we need a voice and or we need to put the pressure on those running for president. What people don’t understand is that we are about a year and half away from life without President Obama and a lot of us would like to see him do more. But he certainly turned it around to where they started dealing with some of our stuff, we don’t know what is going to happen after him. If the next president puts another right wing on the Supreme Court we could lose voting rights, we could lose the healthcare. All this stuff we really have to press now.
Esaw Gardner added that voting is important and said she has received a lot of support following her husband’s death. She speaks to the people on the block that she knows and tells them that you need to still vote.
Your vote still is important and if enough of you vote, then maybe Dan Donovan wouldn’t be a congressman of Staten Island right now…help us move along because we’re being killed and they think it’s okay to pay us.
Overall it was a very insightful interview and the need to keep the pressure on for change within policing is very important. Do not let the names of Eric Garner and others that have lost their lives senselessly to police misconduct go in vein. What can happen to one, can happen to all.
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