In the summer of 1965, I graduated from High School while Watts, Los Angeles was burned and looted. While serving in Vietnam from August 1967 until March 1969, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, and other major American Cities were burned and looted. The phrase “burn baby burn” was attributed to Black Militants challenging the injustices and discriminatory practices of our government. Dr. Martin Luther King countered “It must be build, baby, build, organize, baby organize”. “Our slogan must be learn, baby, learn, so that we can earn baby earn.” Individually, some African Americans built, organized, learned and earned. Yet today, cities are burning and being looted. If you don’t learn from past mistakes you’re destined to repeat them. There is no question the participants in the protests and riots in the 60’s and the 1992 Los Angeles riot after the brutal beating of Rodney King can be solely, attributed to African Americans. Our uncontrolled anger came at a cost for burning and looting our communities. Today’s protest include both African Americans and a large contingent group of European American protesters. Protesters from each group some are more aggressive than others and perhaps with different motivations however, they do share the same risk. The modern day lynching of George Floyd has angered the world. African Americans have been managing anger for 400 years enduring the deadly practices of racism. History documents the times that our anger overflowed. Burning and looting, history tells us is not a solution to the problems of systemic racism deeply embedded within the American society. “Uncontrolled anger is a waste of resources and energy controlled anger is a pathway to positive change”. Anger is a powerful form of energy uncontrolled it can be self-destructive. What Dr. King advised us to do in 1963 rings true today 2020, “It must be build, baby build, organize baby organize, learn baby learn so we can earn baby earn.” I suggest we take Dr. King’s advice once the architect of the most successful protest to uplift and advance the causes of African Americans. Young activist, middle age activist, old activist and anyone with positive ideas must come to the table humbly and contribute. Perhaps, then we will be able to breath more freely together. I dedicate this piece to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all the many other African Americans who have wrongfully died as a result of the European American’s systematic unequal justice system since 1619. WSM 6/4/20