Selwyn Blues Knight was a black life that mattered. But while Barbadians recently took to the streets to protest in the wake of American George Floyd’s slaying by a white cop in Minneapolis, no one has agitated or marched for justice for the late barman.
That was the position today of Knight’s widow Marleen who two days after the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration (CMPI) staged a march in The City against police brutality, racism and other issues, said that five years after her husband’s death allegedly at the hands of a policeman at Dash Gap, Bank Hall, St Michael, she was still waiting for justice.
Marleen said she was still in disbelief that Barbadians marched following Floyd’s death, but did not take to the streets to call for justice for her deceased husband.
“Home drums beat first. This is five years now that my husband has been killed and nobody ain’t come to see whether I surviving, how I doing, nothing. I don’t even hear from the lawyers.
“But then they could be protesting for George Floyd. These things ain’t right. I can’t feel good, so I start my protest then on Facebook letting them know Selwyn Blues Knight’s life mattered also, along with his son,” the frustrated widow told Barbados TODAY at the Queen Mary Road, Bank Hall, St Michael home she once shared with her partner of 27 years.
Police constable Everton Gittens, who is now on bail, was charged for murdering Knight and shooting his son Junior Knight, on March 15, 2015. The police officer allegedly shot the men at Dash Gap, Bank Hall, after they had chased a burglar who had stolen items from their home. That burglar was subsequently charged for his home intrusion.
“My son still got two bullets in him, one in the buttocks that shattered, and the one that he got in the shoulder move and gone to the back of his neck. I can’t sleep comfortably. Many nights I got to get up and go and check to make sure that my child still living because I don’t know what to expect.
“I ain’t getting no satisfaction. I ain’t getting no justice. The Attorney General [Dale Marshall] ain’t checking for me, not even the representative for out here [St Michael Central’s Arthur Holder] that never once come and sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with me,” she said.
The newspaper vendor lamented that her life has been in turmoil since Knight’s death.
She explained that her late husband was the sole breadwinner of the household and took responsibility for paying the majority of the bills, while she filled in the gap with what money she made from selling newspapers.
However, the widow lamented that at this time “papers ain’t making any money”, her bills have gone into arrears and buying food has become a difficult task because of limited funds. She noted that she could only do so much with the BDS$180 she receives from the Welfare Department at times.
“Somebody should be looking out for me because Everton Gittens was a police, or is a police. He on $200,000 bail, and most likely he getting half pay. I ain’t getting nothing. But it gine got to kill me, because I ain’t giving up.
“I can’t do nothing about my husband because he dead and gone. But I got my son and he got two young children. Suppose he die? What will happen to them and what will happen to me? I don’t have no back-up,” she said.
Close to tears, a grieving Marleen said in addition to not having her husband to support her through the serious health challenges she is currently experiencing, she felt that her husband’s case was taking too long to come to trial. She went as far as to question whether her humble social status was a factor.
“For the way how I see things going, like them want me to forget about it, but I can’t forget about it. If them want to keep Everton Gittens, keep Everton Gittens. Give me a settlement then that I could live and let me move on with my life,” she said, adding her son could die as a result of the shifting bullet in his body and should be compensated in the interest of his children.
With much passion in her voice, Marleen also voiced concerns about Government’s intention to lay a Black Lives Matter (BLM) resolution in Parliament this week, as was announced by Minister of Environment Trevor Prescod at last Saturday’s protest.
“That is only because of George Floyd. What about the ones here? But I got to stand up and represent me, my husband and my son. And if I got to do it alone, so be it.”
The tears now rolling down her cheeks, the grandmother of seven said that seven months ago she was thrown into a state of mourning once again when her son Jomo Savoury committed suicide following a period of depression.
She said Jomo’s death was yet another blow particularly because he was the person she leaned on for support. Marleen is now faced with having to repay the money she borrowed to take care of Jomo’s funeral arrangements.
“And people walking about talking about justice. It got to start from home. You can’t bring in somebody from outside and want justice when you ain’t giving nobody where you live justice.
“He knows how he bills gine get paid, while I got to be scratching my head studying which part I will get something to eat, how the bills gine get paid. This is wrong. The Government should be helping me in some way. I am 64 and if I could work as I would like, well so be it, but I can’t work. I got to get knee replacement now,” she said.
“. . . I need help. I don’t know if them want me to bow down to them and beg them like a dog, but I ain’t doing it. You see how much money George Floyd ‘get’ in the States? What I getting? I ain’t getting nothing. So tell me, what is the sense that them marching for George Floyd and Barbados in the same predicament because nothing ain’t gine change. I waiting to see this Black Lives Matter resolution,” she added. [email protected]
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This is wat i meanimg. The bajan ppl can protest fa a white cop killing a black man in the USA. BUT blues get kill and he was not even the offender. Dumb ppl matchning fa statues to Come down an ppl lives being taken innocently. Hmmmmmm.
This is a disgrace , Denny marching for Floyd but injustice in Barbados forgotten.
This is an injustice a lot of Barbadians put up with. The slogan “BLACK LIVES MATTEr”
should be…ALL LIVES MATTER.
We stand in solidarity with all people on this. So mr. DENNY let’s Start with our own homework, let’s work on our own problems . We, as a BLACK nation needs to address why we have so much….BLACK ON BLACK CRIME..
why we are so eager to to highlight and try to identify with with bigger countries when we have so very much serious matters at home that need the same attention. Mr. DENNY, don’t let your actions be self sufficining, but be truly in earnest. We don’t need to change the title of the POLICE DEPARTMENT….to address the serious problems we face as a nation. We stand in SOLIDARITY with our brothers and sisters all over the world. We , here…as a PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NATION also have OUR PROBLEMS to deal with,… but we must not…Cannot…own …incorporate other countries situations. We must MAINTAIN OUR IDENTY…LOOK FIRST TO DO BETTER. ..AS BARBADIANS.
That is Bajans for you. We too love to follow others, no leaders. They love the US culture and does forget theirs.
Marleen, don’t give up, keep making noise else they will sweep it under the rug.
Marlene I said the same thing I grew up with blues and a great man. I played with your sons growing up. It’s sad nothing is done for blues but God ain’t sleeping
“Don’t even hear from the Lawyer”, that’s what is most disturbing and to make matters worst, the lack of publicity by the press.
Who is the representative for the area? When we marched, we marched against police brutality, so the death of your loved one and the plight of your son was part of why we marched, I hope you will join us as we continue to highlight the atrocities and injustices that is encouraged by those who are elected and selected to GOVERN,SERVE and Protec /reassure. Join the bandwagon….
Who is the representative for the area? When we marched, we marched against police brutality, so the death of your loved one and the plight of your son was part of why we marched, I hope you will join us as we continue to highlight the atrocities and injustices that is encouraged by those who are elected and selected to GOVERN,SERVE and Protec /reassure. Join the bandwagon…. loyalty should be a tool… where is your district representatives?
Any one of the persons above who say we love to follow the USA could have started a protest for Blues but they rather criticize those who stand up to at least do something. Is it easier to pull down other activists than to be one yourself? Why didn’t any of you organize any march?
I live in the US and please don’t misinterpret what I am saying I have nothing against marching, but what about all the marches that should have been done for all the injustices here in Barbados, I feel Marleen’s pain I hurt for her and her family, and let me also mention I donot know her or her family. When I hear that folks in Barbados were marching I was in amazement, its about time Bajans wake up and stop being so DOCILE come together and fight for they cause this is 2020 wakeup my fellow Barbadians.
I declare once again people are hypocrites
it is okay for black on black crime and murdering of the unborn ( not a word from society) but a white person murdering a black person -all hell breaks loose
people are pure hypocrites
God never sleeps. He has the ultimate plan. Trust Him ma’am.
I wonder if you had asked them to come and march for Mr Knight how many would have came out? You are right Mrs Knight don’t give up! Bajans lovecto follow pattern!
wow I feel really bad for this woman, and her husband and son was being robbed, but got to be the victims twice, because the police out on bail, and that bail could be years. No justice in barbados. What about the guy that was arrested but died at the lock up police station, and that case was swept under the rug. The police said he killed himself, but no prove he killed himself.
Well done. Bajans are follow patterns. Yes BLM not now every since there are so much tings that happen in Bim that get sweep under the rug. Hmmmm
I remember growin up a police officer pull out all a man toe nails because..
Then the fella that get push from the cliff in d water……
Men get shoot down n no witness…..
And many more
Marleen dont give up fight for your rights
This is what does got me about bajans.
How much of yall now will be able to open up wanna mouths and speak the truth about these things
Instead of just talking and not doing nothing
The problem is most Barbadians don’t know they rights!! The law I should think give her the right to sue the State Attorney General and the Police Commissioner and the Policeman who is the accused!! Nothing is going to happen when you don’t pursue your rights!! The press looking for a story prints as it sells papers.
Marleen must pursue her rights by looking up the laws and pushing for a resolution.
This is criminal that after five years this case is not called, we can make changes when it comes to some among us, cases are tossed and the accused walk free!! This is a problem when the wealthy can have a case heard in a short matter of time and the poor rely on a system that works against the poor.
Going to Court or waiting on Justice is not an EMOTION but to turn every page and go beyond the lawyers advice and looking up the law or learning the law as it relates to you.
Finally Barbadians can make complaints to the United Nations, to light a fire under the Government and the delay of Justice, use every tool available.
We should be marching against the legal system in Barbados. Justice delayed is justice denied and we know the many ending cases in our legal system. This family should not have to suffer because of the legal system. The AG constantly requested the former AG to resigned yet crime is way higher and this AG don’t plan to resigned. These politicians are making bare laughing sport at Bajand
The lady is absolutely right. Poor people in this country have no rights. Nobody cares
if u all had listened carefully you would have heard some of organisers of the local march talk about police brutality here too. i agree with Marlene but which of you all putting unna money where unna mout is? Marches worldwide aint about George Floyd. really bout every black child that get push out! Everywhere!
Sue the police department in a civil law suit.
This lady is in a now state of needing assistance and you can feel the stress and the anguish of her. Sad to say bajans aren’t always supportive of their own and allow too much of the other nations across the landscape of this world to influence us which weighs upon our culture as barbadians. I pray that she recieves swift justice from this post and the much needed help that should come in a tangible. Also to add with that some serious counselling for not only herself but for her remaining family. Life is hard already and we must do better as a people.
Mam i agree whole heartedly we should be shame on us bare follow pattern things bout hey hard hard black people oppressed by sucesssive governments even before covid people sucking salts not a march BERT or hurricane Bert wrecked havoc i dun talk that’s why Denny teeth drop out it did fed up as well
Here we are all the same colour, with injustices happening and we turn a blind eye, but something happens in the USA and people are ready to run through the streets. Was the death here more justified because we are all the same colour and wrong because it was a white officer with the knee in the neck, so it stands to wonder if the police and perpetrator were the same colour would the results be the same. I stand that all lives matter as injustice is injustice no matter the colour of the skin. Home drums need to beat first don’t go trying to clean up someone else mess when you have not cleaned yours.
i agree david denny marching for george floyd what did he do for you and bajans .if you want to march do that for all the good friends we lost in barbados by the hands of police and not white police a great man like blues did you think he deserve to fie the way he did no he didnt march for blues he more deserve it