Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Johnny Silvercloud
The National Guard Shouldn’t Be Here
U.S. Soldiers are not Beat Cops — so end this political occupation The Aesthetic of Fascist Control. Armed National Guard troops standing in formation during an open-ended domestic deployment. This is the “presence patrol” infrastructure in real time — soldiers dropped into static, highly predictable environments with zero defined ADP 5–0 military end states. Photo by Johnny Silvercloud. Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: Washington, D.C. is a home, not a forward operating base.
Why ICE is not Law Enforcement
When they suppress dissenters, they become “thought enforcement.” An ICE agent has shot a woman, Renee Good in Minneapolis, for no good reason. This is murder. Tyranny Real talk: I spent most of my life surrounded by white men who swear they keep guns, and value the 2nd Amendment for the sake of combating tyranny, if the United States government ever slid into such. But to be real, though — y’all couldn’t identify tyranny even if it shot a white woman in the face. January 2026.
Don’t Say “Happy Veteran’s Day” if You Support the Misuse of Our National Guard
When you support Trump’s deployment of the National Guard on U.S. soil, your “thanks” is just vapid politeness. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Johnny Silvercloud. I joined the U.S. Army in 1999 and retired honorably in 2019. I served under Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump.
Where Are My Washington D.C. Veteran Activists?
Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself Hey there! I'm Johnny Silvercloud, a 20-year veteran of the United States Army, who is now a street photojournalist out of Washington, D.C. I'm an intellectual activist who advocates for social justice. The Progressive Vet, I suppose. While I began my style of work around 2012, I hit the ground running in my retirement, with 2020 being a particularly tumultuous year of protest, outrage, and occasionally, riot.
Yes, This New U.S. Army Shaving Profile Policy Is Racist
AfroSapiophile is a hub for critical thinking and analysis pertaining to civil rights, human rights, systemic racism and sexism across politics, entertainment, and history.
An Ex-Prosecutor Commits Assault on a 78-Year-Old Man
Biden did the right thing by stepping out of the presidential race, making way for Kamala Harris. Biden stepping out of a second-term presidential run parallels an old basketball player in the starting line-up finally accepting his position on the bench, beyond a retirement he should have had eons ago, allowing the better, stronger, faster player to be a part of the starting five.
Zoe Saldana Playing Nina Simone Was Stupid.
Zoe Saldana has had a problematic relationship regarding understanding how racism and colorism work. Being that she states she was raised to be “colorblind” (read: ignore racial issues like white people), it’s evident that she is Stacey-Dash-Clueless when it comes to what darker-skinned Black women deal with. Maybe she thought this was no different than playing a blue-skinned sapient tribal alien off of Avatar or the green-skinned Gamora off Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Holmesburg Prison Experiments
Dr. Albert Kligman and Unethical Human Experimentation in America Unethical Human Experimentation in Philly “It was years before the authorities knew that I was conducting various studies on prisoner volunteers. Things were simpler then. Informed consent was unheard of. No one asked me what I was doing. It was a wonderful time.” ~ Dr. Albert Kligman Dr. Albert Montgomery Kligman was an American dermatologist born in Philadelphia on March 17, 1916.
Weak-Minded Military Personnel are a National Security Risk
Hello there. For those who do not know, I’m Johnny Silvercloud, a U.S. Army veteran turned civil rights and conflict photographer in Washington, D.C. You might want to follow me to keep an eye on my work. Yes, I was there. I was there on the streets when Trump pushed his mod to attack the Capitol in his coup attempt. I called it the Coup Klux Klan when I wrote about the experience. Honestly, I never really watched the January 6 committee hearings.
Military Vets: Stop Weaponizing Warfare Trauma
It’s challenging to be a military veteran who stands for justice. Military culture is filled to the brim with authoritarian-leaning people who oversimplify complex matters, often speaking as if linear, simple answers solve everything. It gets more baffling when simple authoritarian, fascist talking points effortlessly sway soldiers who require critical thinking and analysis in their profession.
Officer-Created Jeopardy
It is quite often that police in America use force. Force, meaning a form of physical violence. When you combine the biases of police officers with white supremacy-aligned ideologies, paired with this flawed “warrior culture,” you get a multifarious amount of police officers who execute questionable uses of force. I wrote about Deputy Sean Grayson’s depraved, execution-style murder of Sonya Massey. When it comes to the use of force, I often look at my military career as a U.S. Soldier.
Trump and the GOP Have No Plan
With Joe Biden abandoning a re-election campaign, Donald Trump, the GOP, and the conservative media industrial complex have NO idea what to do next. And it's kinda funny to watch. Trump and his Republican Party first tried to say Biden and Kamala could not do that. Well, it goes to show they can; Kamala Harris secured the proper amount of Democratic Party delegate votes to become the Democratic nominee. Republicans even tried to throw articles of impeachment on Vice-President Harris, to no avail.
Project 2025 Reduces The Rights of Female Troops
Extremist Republicans Continue to Hurt Military Professionals Project 2025 is a massive set of U.S. government policy proposals for the next Republican president, who looks like Presidential candidate Donald Trump. It has been engineered by the Heritage Foundation, an extreme right-wing political organization. Project 2025 is over 900 pages long and has a lot of not-so-bright ideas. The Republican Party has long championed itself as the party with the least amount of political overreach.
Calling for a Stop in Political Violence?
So it looks like Thomas Matthew Crooks was a 20-year-old conservative (right-wing) white boy who decided to take his shot at Trump. I'm talking about that assassination attempt, if that wasn't clear. Now, centrists (playing into right-wing hands) and right-wingers (white victimhood complex) are calling for a stop to political violence. Of course, I have a few thoughts to break. Anyone remember 2020?
The Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
As an ex-president, Trump might have placed many warheads to foreheads, but he narrowly ducks getting one put into his on, as he got shot in the ear by a would-be assassin on his second presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, July 13th, 2024. I had to wait a bit before writing about this one; there are a few things I wanted to know before discussing what had just happened. The first issue I had was if this was staged or not.
Because We're Paying For The Bombs, Stupid
Israel must Ceasefire Protest, Washington DC / 31 Dec 2023 / Photography Credit: Johnny Silvercloud Introduction You know, I give Medium writers a lot of shit for using tall ass photos for the face of the article. No one wants to scroll down longer than they have to to start reading. I had to break my own rules for this one because the photograph I took was the best representation of what follows.
The People's Red Line to Stop Genocide
June 8 marks eight months of US-Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, and marks the 54th anniversary of the occupation of Gaza. Biden said that the invasion of Rafah has continued for weeks, has expanded into the entire Gaza Strip, and Biden's red line is nowhere to be seen! Instead of following...
Thoughts on Children's Poor Literacy Achievement
From January to May this year (2024), I was dating a single mother of three. She had an eleven-year-old daughter and two sons, four and two years old. As an Afro-Latina, her kids are both...
Why I Don't Get Angry At Flag Burning
The Colleges are Picking Up the Protest It was a normal day in May 2024. In mainstream media, numerous college campuses in America have anti-genocide protests pertaining to the effects of Israel's aggression...
Why That Teacher Got Fired
By Johnny Silvercloud Looking into Mr. White's Decision to Have School Kids Do His Hair A Video Still of Teacher Marquise White from his Instagram account Science Teacher Marquise White In early 2024, a middle school science teacher named Marquise White went viral after uploading a video of kids in his class undoing his hair.
Thoughts on BBQanon Max Azzarello
By Johnny Silvercloud The Guy Who Burned Himself Alive In Front of Trump's Criminal Trial in NYC Max Azzarello, via his Instagram. / Photo Edit: Johnny Silvercloud Max Azzarello I found out that a man named Max Azzarello lit himself on fire in front of the Trump trial's location in New York City. In light of the fact that a man burned himself to death in front of Trump's trial led me to think that he was...
Candace Owens is Still Candace Owin’
Losing Jobs Years ago, I wrote an article on the behavior I observed in a once-favored actress, Stacey Dash. I highlighted how she tried to run back to the Black Community after Candace Owens took her job as conservative media’s top female tanooki. Stacey Dash’s dismissal was ushered by…
Protect the Weak: An Open Letter to Black and Latino Men Voting for Trump
Oh, Trump wasn’t that bad.” I saw my neighbor hold court on the stoop. “Had money in my pocket. Hell, half the time he told the truth!” He and two friends, all Black men, belly laughed. One said, “And the other half?” The Trump lover made an I-got-caught gesture with his palms, “Well…” They guffawed loudly. I walked and rubbed my temples. I heard this before. I have heard it on stoops and in barbershops and bars. I heard you laugh off the Trump years. I heard you openly talk of voting for Trump.
U.S. Airman Sets Self on Fire Outside Israel’s Embassy
Self-Immolation Protest Against Israeli Aggression “My name is Aaron Bushnell, I am an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme active protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.
The Type of Questions Zionists Demand Answers To
Let’s Introduce Again Hello there, everyone. I’m Johnny Silvercloud. I’m a 20-year U.S. Army veteran who became a bit of a civil rights photojournalist when I retired back home, in Washington D.C., from military service in full honor. I’m known for writing about the Black experience, racism, and sexism. I also speak on privilege systems like male privilege, cis-hetero privilege, and white privilege. As a Black military veteran, I can be for or against war.
How Is the Government of Israel Counting Hamas Fighters?
Because it’s pretty difficult to call everyone you kill Hamas under tons of building rubble This has been a question I’ve been wondering for a while because it really doesn’t make sense when you begin to use your brain. How is Israel counting Hamas fighters? How are they counting those they kill? Are they just making shit up? That’s not going to pass the bullshit alarm. Are they calling everyone with a gun Hamas? That’s not going to be accurate. Let me help you understand what I’m saying.
From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free
This Phrase is Not Anti-Semitic, and Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise A while back ago, I wrote about the familial link between Black people and Palestinians. I spoke on how we share multiple commonalities. Well, you see, the white supremacist manipulation of words and phrases we create is one of those commonalities, and I’m going to highlight this one. “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” is not anti-semitic. Let me explain. From the river to the sea.
What Defines a NATO Country?
Depending on your definition, Russian aggression is the best NATO accelerant Question: what makes a NATO country? This question is a fitting place to start, is it not? Is it specific characteristics such as military equipment for a common defense? Or is it a formal declaration made? Because if being a NATO country doesn’t require a formal declaration, then Ukraine is functionally a NATO nation. And Russia made them as such. Let’s talk about it.
Palestinians Were Always Protesting Israeli Aggression
On the 13th of January, well over 400,000 people showed up in Washington, D.C., to protest in the defense of Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. People spoke, marched, played music, danced, shouted, and cheered in the defense of Gaza. Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, and Atheists. The young, middle-aged, and old. Women, men, children, and nonbinaries. Needless to say, a lot of people showed up in solidarity.
Israel Made a Hamas Website. Why?
HAMAS is a political resistance organization. Hamas is commonly known as a terrorist organization, especially by American standards. Multiple countries designated Hamas a terrorist organization, though some apply this label only to its military wing. Being that there’s no universally agreed definition of “terrorist,” I’m trying not to use that term here. Hamas functions as a political party governing Gaza City, and has been doing so since 2007. Hamas is known for its armed resistance to Israel.
Israeli Snipers Murder Two Women Inside of Gaza Church
While I was writing the previous article on how Israeli soldiers killed three possibly escaped Israeli hostages initially captured by Hamas in cold blood, I learned that Israeli snipers flat-out murdered two women in a Catholic church. The shooting of a mother and daughter allegedly by an Israeli military sniper in a church compound in Gaza City was a “cold–blooded killing”, the most senior Catholic cleric in England has said.
Israeli Occupational Forces Kill Three Surrendering Israelis
Israeli Occupational Forces (read: their Army on foot) killed three possibly escaped (Israeli) hostages initially captured by Hamas. Alon Shamriz, Samer Talalka, and Yotam Haim were their names. They were killed on December 15th, 2023. Israel’s military says it has discovered distress signals in a Gaza building where three Israeli captives were sheltering before they were mistakenly shot dead by Israeli troops.
Israel Can’t Claim Self-Defense
For context, I would like to point to a short conversation that took place in the commenting section of another article I wrote. The person attempting to argue is named Sydorov, and he ended the conversation hoping Hamas would come to get me in “a dark alley somewhere.” I’m not making this up. I believe Jews have the right to exist. Nations are more complex, especially when they wield power in the worst ways. ^Note the distinction I made there.
Why American Black Folk Support Palestinians?
For those who don't know, I am a street photographer. I've been covering protests for a very long time. While I've been documenting protests and street engagement for a long time, my most well-known work is from the George-Floyd-Breonna Taylor-Ahmaud Arbery Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. So, without question, I was there. The whole time. So believe me when I tell you that Palestinian people have been showing up in defense of Black people for a very long time.
Houston Woman Slapped with a Brick, and Bystanders Did Nothing
It's the back edge of summer, September 2023. A Somali-American woman got slapped with a brick by a Black man in Houston. Bystanders, according to Rho Bashe, the woman who was assaulted, did nothing. There's so much to unpack on this matter. Some angles I'll observe will piss people off, while others will be largely agreeable. 1. Protect Yourself Out Here You cannot expect people to intervene during an encounter of street violence. Woman, man, it doesn't matter who you are.
Diabetic Neuropathy is No Joke
Been Out of It Lately For those who follow me, y'all know I'm usually writing at least eleven articles a month. In the year 2023*, June, July, and August were abysmal in regards to my writing output. For those who follow me, apologies on my failure to produce. The truth is this - I have diabetic neuropathy damage to my hands and feet. Nerve pain is not like any other pain I've ever been through. It's not like the muscular pain of working out or over-exertion.
Hip-Hop Will Always Be Part of Me (Like Arteries)
50 Years of Hip-Hop Music Concept art of an album cover. / Image Credit: Johnny Silvercloud (personal collection) I don't even know where to begin. Should I start with the first time a tune had me hooked? Should I start with the first albums I ever bought? I could start with the fact that, as a child, I had a knack for following beats and baselines. I loved following tunes and beats in my head. While I could push back and reflect, I think it's more productive to start when I was a young adult.
The #1 Problem with Season 5 of The Wire was the Song
So I folded and got HBO Max, or "Max", which is the name they are going by for their app now. While I realized they have a LOT of channels under their books, the biggest draw for me was the ability to watch The Wire in hi-definition, infinitely. I got into the Wire in 2010, during my second deployment to Afghanistan. Everyone be sharing movies and shows on our hard drives, so yeah I came across this gem, and I was hooked. This show, The Wire, is phenomenal.
Emmitt Till Memorial
Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, are pictured around 1950. | Photo Credit: The Smithsonian National Museum Emmitt Till Memorial Emmett and Mamie Till-Mobley Monument The red drop icon is the proposed location of the Emmitt Till Memorial. Right by the Monument, the placement is very visible.
Okay, I'll Talk About PV2 Travis King
American soldier Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King is seen in a military portrait. Photo Credit: U.S. Army/Travis King's family Private Travis King of 1st AD Private Second Class Travis T. King is a U.S. Soldier who bolted into North Korea a day after he was supposed to travel to an installation in the United States. He slipped his escort detail, and joined a Korean border tour. When his tour came across the Joint Security Area (JSA), he ran into the arms of North Korea. This is 2023.
Brothers, We Need To Talk about Keke Palmer
By Johnny Silvercloud (Not Really, but we need to talk about male insecurity) Keke Palmer Keke Palmer First and foremost, Keke Palmer is now a mother, so she has no business dressing as sexy as she did that day. She also has no business getting serenaded by Usher. As a Black mother - the type of woman we as Black men only respect under strict conditions...
The 4th of July is Sort of a Lie
By Johnny Silvercloud What does Independence Day mean if you're told to never engage in violent protest? American Independence Day I've been thinking about this for a while. I'm not here to compare the 4th of July with Juneteenth. I think better writers have done that out here. What I want to talk about is something I know a lot...
Systemic Racism Has Dwarfed My Sympathy
The Sub Imploded, Five Dead It’s the summer of 2023, and a few rich folk decided that they wanted to visit the Titanic in a miniature submarine, called a “submersible”. Controllers of the sub lost contact a while ago, and the public feared that these five folks may die, due to the limited oxygen in the sub. The passengers of the sub, by time of publishing this, are dead. Many people are saddened by this tragedy.
Trump Must Fall
If you support the notion of Trump mishandling classified data as he did, you clearly hate America What Happened? Disgraced ex-president Donald Trump stole Top Secret documents, including Atomic (nuclear weapon) documents, warfare strategies, and contingency plans, before his departure from the U.S. presidency.
Juneteenth Must Feel Weird for White People in America
By Johnny Silvercloud A Black woman in Washington D.C., celebrating Juneteenth / 18 Jun 2022 / Photo Credit: Johnny Silvercloud But there's a way to make it not-so-weird for you. Whites are Erasing Blacks Already It's June 2023, and I just got wind of white people already erasing Black folks from a holiday created and recognized in honor of the perseverance of Black people waiting for American Slavery to be over...
What Are They Really Saying?
It is common for nations to chant their names in international competitive sports. I've heard German chants, Spanish chants, Brazilian and Italian chants, and more. Often these take place in soccer games.
Why do Black Folks Love Cognac So Much?
By Johnny Silvercloud A Soldier's Story A fun fact in honor of Memorial Day (and Veteran's Day) An old artwork of a Black U.S. Soldier dancing with a fine Black woman, likely over jazz and cognac. / Image Credit: Johnny Silvercloud Have you ever wondered why Black folks prefer, or flat-out love cognac so much? The facts may surprise you (or not; after all, it is Memorial Day on the date of publishing).
Your Politics Are The Threat.
By Johnny Silvercloud A white woman with her dangerous white identity politics. Wash. D.C. / 13 Nov 2020 / Photo Credit: Johnny Silvercloud A thought on how some white people think they are not dangerous to Black people An interesting article tangentially came across my way - one seeking to argue that white people are not dangerous to Black people. Forgive me; I should say, "not a threat" to Black people, as it is unfair to put words in...
Military Recruiting
Military recruiting in America is once again marked at an all-time low. There are numerous reasons experts are pointing to. One, being that the average American is too fat, can definitely be a problem. The general physical fitness of a nation can and will be considered a "national security" threat if there are few who can cut...
Let's Talk About Gender-Affirming Care
Just a couple of things I noticed "We are all human." Pride Parade, Washington D.C. / 8 Jun 2019 / Photo Credit: Johnny Silvercloud Like many cis-gender heterosexual men, I am the farthest from understanding transgender issues. One thing I do get right, however, is that I do believe folks should exist as they prefer, without public, or government harassment. With that being said, this has led me to ponder the concept of gender-affirming care.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Johnny
Contact Johnny, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack