Herb Piercy IV

Interviewee/ Narrator

Herb Piercy IV

Herb Piercy IV

Interviewer

Selena Piercy

Date

November 24, 2023

Location of the Interview

Oak Ridge, TN

Length

43 minutes, 39 seconds

Abstract

Herb Piercy IV is a forensic social worker from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and earned his master’s of social work degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Piercy has a wide range of experience that have shaped his beliefs and perceptions about race and the Black Lives Matter movement including his experience as a punk/goth in high school, military police officer, and currently as an active employee in the justice system in rural Tennessee.
The interview begins with Piercy discussing his upbringing in Knoxville and his path to becoming a forensic social worker. He also talks about his worldwide travels from his time in the United States Army including his time in El Paso, Texas, Germany, and deployment in Somalia in the 1990s. Piercy receives his news mainly from Google News but first encountered the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016 and 2020 through Youtube and CNN. He also witnessed his family members posting anti-Black Lives Matter content on social media platforms, primarily Facebook. He believes the Black Lives Matter movement was a perfectly rational response to the injustices Black people have faced in the United States and mentioned mass incarceration as an example of systemic oppression of Black lives. His role in the justice system has exposed him more to such issues and explained the lack of resources for non-English speakers and people of color who will plead guilty to a crime they did not commit just to not be incarcerated. Piercy says the Black Lives Matter movement has made him more aware of racial inequity and more of an advocate for all types of identities, not just race. Additionally he says the movement has taught him to use his white privilege to advocate for those who cannot speak up for themselves, such as standing between the police and Black people at a local protest to form a protective barrier for people to feel safe to keep using their voices in protest. He believes the movement succeeded in raising awareness of the cause, but it lacked homogenous leadership and therefore did not have just one clear message across the board. Herb is afraid that the movement will become obsolete because of its lack of publicity lately.