Some of the families of loved ones slain by police in Northern California
This past weekend at Everett & Jones restaurant in Jack London Square, there was a gathering of more than 10 mothers and members of their family who have all lost sons, daughters and husbands to police violence over the past 2 years…It was sobering, powerful and healing. It was also shocking to see so many families and hear story after story of how they lost loved ones to police terror. We heard from the mothers of Kenneth Harding, Derick Jones, Derrick Gaines, Rahiem Brown Jr, James Rivera and Oscar Grant..all gunned down by police.
The families came together for the second anniversary of Oscar Grant Verdict Day.. This was the day that a jury in Los Angeles, handed down their controversial decision about Johannes Mehserle, the killer cop who shot an unarmed handcuffed Oscar Grant in the back at point-blank range in front of hundreds of BART subway riders in Oakland, Ca on New Years morning 2009. Millions of people all over the world saw the shocking video and just knew that Mehersle would go to jail for a long time over his egregious actions.
On July 8th 2010, the LA jury came back with a verdict of involuntary manslaughter which left thousands of people who had gathered in downtown Oakland stunned. Adding insult to injury, the Grant verdict was overshadowed by another ‘controversial decision’ being made that day-What basketball team NBA star Lebron James would choose. Many in the national media gave their time and attention to James and the NBA while folks in Oakland and the Bay Area were left pondering the injustice that was served before them after 18 long months of organizing and jumping over legal hurdle after legal hurdle.
Many that day walked away thinking that while the verdict was unjust that hopefully police got the message and would change their ways. There would be more caution and concern exercised by police departments, not just in Oakland, but all over the country. This weekends gathering was proof that if anything the Grant verdict emboldened police to act with reckless abandon.
Unarmed Rekia Boyd was shot in the head by a Chicago Cop
Instead of a decline in police violence we seen a marked increase. Since the Grant verdict day, we’ve seen an outrageous 680 thousand people stopped and frisked in New York with over 90% of those stops being Black and Brown men with less than 5% resulting in any weapons recovered. Stop and Frisk led to the shooting death of unarmed Ramarley Graham We’ve seen police shoot a motorist Hernendez L Dowdy in Memphis, Tn after someone falsely accused him of car jacking. We’ve seen police in Pasadena shoot 19-year-old Kendrec McDade falsely accused of stealing a computer. We seen an officer in Chicago shoot an innocent bystander named Rekia Boyd after he mistakenly thought the man standing next to her had a gun.. We seen police in White Plains New York shoot unarmed army vet, a senior citizen named Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.. who accidently set off his medical alert pendant. The officer at the center of the killing has a sordid history of brutality and racism. .. We seen Oakland police shoot high school senior Alan Bluford in the back and then lie about the self-inflicted wound the officer suffered. He shot himself and blamed Bluford. OPD has still refused to officially identify the officer.
We could go on for days citing story after story along with the fact that in many cities all over the United States police brutality incidents and police killing civilians are on the rise..For example, in Los Angeles which was supposed to have drastically reformed their police department, we seen a huge increase in police shootings. The department tried to blame it on citizens attacking them more. That assertion has since been disputed.Whats crazy about LA is that police pushed to get the city council to support a law that will keep officers records sealed from the public.
The bottom line is this.. Police are out of control and when it comes to Black people they are even more so..Today the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement released a Report on Extrajudicial Killings …Its pretty detailed and extensive.. It shows that since Jan 1 2012 , they have documented 110 Black people being killed. That amounts to one Black person being killed by police every 40 hours.. Since the shooting death of Trayvon Martin police and shot and killed over 80 Black people..This is outrageous and unacceptable..
Here’s the official press release and links to the report..
“Report on Extrajudicial Killings of 110 Black People since January 1st, 2012.”
Every 40 hours in the United States one Black woman, man or child is killed by police, and by a smaller number of security guards and self-appointed vigilantes. These are the startling findings of a new Report on Extrajudicial Killings of Black People released July 9, 2012.
What motivated the round-the-clock research for this new Report? More than two years ago, on New Year’s Eve, police killed two innocent men: Oscar Grant in Oakland, Adolph Grimes in New Orleans and shot Robert Tolan in a Houston suburb. Based on research started in 2009 after those murders, we learned there were a lot more killings that had not yet been uncovered. Then, after Trayvon’s murder, there was a huge public outcry and a few headlines about more killings. More grieving families and more calls for investigation. Further research became urgent and it demonstrated that Trayvon’s death was not an isolated tragedy. Between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012, at least 110 Black people were killed by police and their “deputies”.
“Any one of these people killed could have been my son or your husband or daughter”, says Arlene Eisen, member of the Malcolm X Solidarity Committee and co-author of the Report.
Rosa Clemente of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement elaborates, “Nowhere is a Black woman or man safe from racial profiling, invasive policing, constant surveillance, and overriding suspicion. All Black people – regardless of education, class, occupation, behavior or dress – are subject to the whims of the police in this epidemic of state initiated or condoned violence.”
The Report, produced by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) and the “No More Trayvon Martins” campaign, is part of a larger effort. Kali Akuno, MXGM member and report co-author explained, “The Report shows how people of African descent remain subjected to institutionalized racist policies and procedures that arbitrarily stop, frisk, arrest, brutalize and even execute Black people. The killing will continue despite calls for investigations and lawsuits. We urge people to read this Report and join us in demanding that the Obama administration implement a National Plan of Action for Racial Justice to stop these killings and other human rights violations being committed by the government”.
To read the report visit www.mxgm.org. For information on the petition visit http://www.ushrnetwork.org/content/webform/trayvon-martin-petition.
Jasiri X
On Tuesday July 10th we will be doing a special broadcast on 94.1 fm KPFA at 8am PST.. www.kpfa.org This broadcast will include members of MXGM as well as family members who lost loved ones to police violence.. There will also be information on upcoming actions to take place around police violence. We will also be premiering a new song from Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X called Riot which addresses the police violence and this report..
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Reblogged this on Moorbey's Blog.
This is the beginning if martial law.
This type of behavior is totally unacceptable and also an affront to the Constitution of the United States. Let us all remember that All Men are Created Equal. Did Rodney King die in vain after he pleaded with us to just get along. I ask only one question to all, where is justice, and I ask one question to those who call themselves christian, where is love? For love and justice should see no color.
Rodney King died from an excessive substance abuse lifestyle, which culminated in his death at 47 from and accidental drowning while high on drugs.
We have to find ways to defend ourselves!
Reblogged this on BROTHA WOLF.
Reblogged this on @NotChrisJacobs.
Including “security guards and self-appointed vigilantes” like Charlse Bronson in Death Wish hardly makes this a statistic about police violence.
Again we are witnessing a slower form of murder on people of color. The state of this nation mentally among people of color in to many cases comes down ,either us killing each other or the police doing it. This esculation in murders and death are directly tied into the physical and mental conditions of poverty and depends most of us live in. Most of the murdering is over money or turf battles. The shooters are the more openly insane and willing to do anything for a few dollars or a move up the street gangster chains of rank and power.
WE TRIED TALKING. IF THEY DONT HAVE EARS, THEY SURE HAVE FEELINGS. IF THEIR FEELINGS ARE NOT FOCUSED ON THE WELL BEING OF MANKIND IN GENERAL, THEN WE HIT BACK AND HIT HARDER. HIT THEIR FEELINGS. YEA. REVOLUTION IS THE ANSWER. ENOUGH OF THE ANIMALISTIC TREATMENT ALREADY. THE BLACK COPS IS GETTIN F***ED UP TOO!
How does a man justify kicking a handcuffed on the ground female………..ANSWER: Be a male police officer in America!!!! What a low life coward!!!!
How many black on black murders have there been since Trayvon Martin? I bet it’s a lot more than 80.
Tyrone, Blah.. what does that have to do with police killing folks? Are we paying thugs to protect and serve the community? Police violence and Black on Black crime are unrelated
Maybe every 40 hours a cop kills a black person but I bet the statistic of black on black killing is way less then 40hours.
Tyrone and Blah, both of you need to haul ass.
I remember last year and 2010 cops were being taken out at record rates. That was a good start and I’m not advocating killing cops, but if it be whats needed then cot damn it so be it. Tired of seeing us armed with video cameras broadcasting our deaths on the street so world star hip hop can get a million more hits. I’m ain’t talking about something I’m not willing to do. Nobody’s at home waiting on my paycheck or needing me to tuck them in, I’ll be the first to lay it on the line. This is shit is ridiculous. Stand up or sit down and shut up.
Others have already asked how many black on black killings there have been. How about the numbers of whites killed by cops or the numbers of whites killed by whites.. Lets see those stats put up alongside the “explosive” “headline grabbing” stats. Then we can get a real feel for whats going on.
I don’t believe that I think this is another article to keep law biding African Americans lumped together with African American criminals so we keep the shareholders of the prison system receiving a hefty return on their investment.
Siskinbob.. do u wanna such stats because ur genuinely concerned or are u trying to find a way to justify the police? The report put together by MXGM took a lot of time and effort.. It’s not something you can just google and its done via volunteers.. If u feel there should be one w/ white folks, you should do the research yourself or wait patiently as MXGM is now working on a study around police on Brown folks and Native peoples.. Do you not want folks to do for themselves?
How many of the killings were justifiable . In other words, cops life was at danger. You don’t think a cops life is ever at danger. How many black cops killed black people ?
Reblogged this on firefly and commented:
The same story applies to Greece and immigrants. Stereotypes is the easy way, not the smart or logical way. The face of racism is the same everywhere. The only thing that changes is who is being targeted. Think about that next you want to travel to a different country…
To Nick and anyone else who might think the killings are “justified.” If you read the report, you see that in 14% of the cases, you might make a case that the cops had to shoot to save their own or others’ lives. The rest are extrajudicial–outside the law by international human rights standards because no one’s life (except the victim) was in danger and even if the deceased had been involved in some “criminal act”, he had the right to a trial before being sentenced and if there had been a trial, capital punishment probably would not have been the sentence. For those who are interested in the comparison of white people killed and Black. I wasn’t able to collect that data within the time frame but New York City is a telling example. Police shot 10 people during the first half of the year, 9 were Black– roughly the same proportion of the percentage of Black people who were subject to stop and frisk in New York.
arlene whats your conclusion ?
How do the statistics compare to other countries ? What percentage of black officers were involved ?
None ?
If you took black on black crime you would be counting the seconds. Quit shying away from the real issue people !!!!!!! Until you address that and quit being cowards then the real dangers and fears of the hood will never be addressed.
By the way I was subject to a beating as a youngster by the po po : so i don’t want to hear your bullsh… that I don’t know whats up.
There’s more than one issue, Nick. Like Davey said, Black-on-Black crime and Extrajudicial killings by police are two separate issues. I don’t pay taxes to support kids on the street killing eachother. The police are sponsored by citizens and the government– they represent the government. And, it’s unfortunately true, and been obvious for a long time, that Black people whose authority derives from an oppressive government or who are paid by the corporations that control the government, do the bidding of their “masters”. But Nick– don’t waste your time asking more irrelevant questions whose purpose seems more to dismiss facts than to honestly debate. At any rate, I won’t answer you again.
GREAT article. Now the picture is so much bigger than Oakland to me. Wow..
Thnx! for all the sharing. All I can say is: I believe 30 to 60% of unsolved murders are done by police themselves. They make their own work–goverments love those kind of nasty cops. Good cops are so rare because they too must go through hell in the recruitment stages of the most powerfull world gang….
Tyrone has a valid point we are not nearly as passionate about policing our own, and more black people are dying at the hands of other blacks in this country. The police are truly wrong no doubt and thats what the post is about so it needs to be addressed. Please do remember this! A missguided soul plays a huge part in its own dimise. We have to teach!
Greg what does policing our own look like?? Grab a gun and make sure the neighborhood thug does right by us or be involved in activities like AeroSoul3? Who are we asking to do the policing? The folks who issued this report? Or is there another group??
If you want to know how really rampant racism still is in America, look at what happening in politics! Yes we have an African American President but the racists, tea partyers etc block everything he is trying to do because he is not white! As far as the police brutality against blacks, don’t lose sight of the fact that these people are paid to uphold the law and safeguard the public. Black killing blacks and whites killing whites is not the issue. THE ISSUE IS POLICE BRUTALITY – UNJUSTIFIABLE KILLING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. CORRUPT POLICE WITH CORRUPT JUSTICE SYSTEM.
The U.S. has a violence problem period.
The major problem really is the lowest income kids are the ones who are neglected ; and contrary to popular belief its not really based on race. If you come from a broken family:
Speaking for myself if your Italian back in the day ; the locla wise guy could be your family.
If your black the local hood thug or Zulu deal is your new mentor.
If your hispanic the norteno, surneo ect gang is it.
The million dollar question is ; How do those at risk find the correct role models; if they are not able to get it at home?
Step one maybe to boycott violent videos and lyrics for those who can’t separate reality and fiction.
As to Greg’s point; I think there should be more of an open discusiion about community policing. At the end of the day ; the cop is giong to go home to the berkely hills not east oakland. The s.brookly cop is gioing to go to Staten Island.
The other point that Dave is asking is what type of policing or in other words what works ?
The bigger question is does anybody really care about these communities ? How are the politicians, business leaders and community activists getting involved ? In addition how do we hold them accountable ?
As for police brutality; I’m not trying to deny that it exists. I am sure there a cops that should be thrown away for straight up homicide. But this should not be dwelt on so much that it dwarfs the real core issues or masks the other problems.
I’m silent and shocked! But not suprised! This is the world we are living. Hate will kill us. I hope that change will occur at anyone who noticed that we are all the same. Let’s pray to ask for the change for the “Man in the Mirror”
Reblogged this on Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Noir and commented:
We’re living in a hostile state, plain and simple…
Reblogged this on clarkcountycriminalcops.
Until we join together and make a unified stand it will keep happening ! Silence is saying we agree with this madness !
Until we stand together as one, nothing will change. Stand up together!
cogratulations everyone. you all want to avoid the real issue. there were more peple killed with black on black crime in one week in one city. one per 24 hours.; then killed in the entire united states rate by police. one per 24 hours in one area of oakland, ca.
it’s like the dope addict who’s blamin everone else for there problem. “it’s my parents fault, society, government that i’m an addict.” look inthe mirror fuc….heads. Until you admit you have a problem and want to address it; it will only get worse
Daniel the lead story on this site is a stop the violence program complete with an interview.. You did not comment on it thus showing that you have no real interest in the solutions at hand.. The folks who put together the report have long dedicated themselves to keeping folks alive..The problem will get worse because Daniel has refused to dirty his hands and work with those trying to end violence… instead you Daniel are doing exactly what you accused others of doing… So agin one has nothing to do with the other.. Like a car crash has nothing to do w/ an airplane crash…
Someone has hacked into the program that processes these comments. Both of mine had subtle word changes to turn my intended meaning upside down. Davey–please delete the two messages I have above. thanks
If you truly want to be heard by everyone and establish increased credibility, maybe race should be excluded. Factoring in the cities and neighborhoods where these incidents occur might be relative besides the fact that these incidents can also occur because people do not listen and follow the commands of an authority figure, properly conducting themselves in a manner to attain the necessary respect to be heard. Don’t get me wrong, the police commit senseless murders that go unpunished but it happens to everyone, even those not trying to promote an image of defiance. Kelly Thomas was a homeless, white man with mental issues and was beaten to death in Fullerton, CA after falsely reported to be breaking into cars. Only two officers were arrested and charged at this time and only one with murder. Douglas Zerby was holding a water nozzle in Long Beach, CA and reported to be holding a gun. The white man, sitting outside his friend’s house, was then observed by police officers who called for backup. Zerby was, “causing it to make sounds similar to those of a gun being handled” according to police reports. The professionally trained officers later shot him to death based on their supposed misconception and nearly two years later, it doesn’t appear any charges will be filed.
COME JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK ALSO WE HAVE A MURDER BY POLICE ON FACEBOOK PAGE. ARMINE NANCE
They need to step it up if they want to get us all.
What an absolute SAD disgrace! Make sure all you Yanks “Be LOUD & PROUD” – Stand up and protest and the next election won’t you!
God you people lie like a fucking rug! He was arrested for and covicted for it! Losers hahahaha
The Oakland Police have covered up the attempted murder of a young African American man, a teenager, Dominique Watkins, but a white middle aged Neighborhood Watch volunteer, John White, who lives at 6371 Sunnymere Ave in Oakland. White went out hunting for Watkins to kill him, first trying to run him down with this car, a white Chevy Aveo, License 6SVA481, it’s parked in the yard right now, then shooting ten shots from his 9mm Beretta. Howard Jordan KNOWS about the crime because I told hikm personally, but instead of taking any action, they put me on the “Ignore” list.
Very dirty stuff.
The judge who moved the Johannes Mehserle trial to Los Angeles, Morris Jacobson, seems to be protecting White. I don’t know why, perhaps because they don’t want controversy over the Treyvon Martin/George Zimmerman aspects of this? I can’t figure any of it out, but John White remains free and no one does anything.
White is a mental case and dangerous, got involved in NHW and shot someone within less than a year of moving here from South Carolina,
He’s my brother but I am scared of him, completely crazy and still very dangerous. Watkins only crime seems to have been when Jack accused him of trying to rip off the pot growing at the house, Watkins said something angry and denied it. For that my crazy brother tried to kill him.
I am not political, I’m a middle aged white guy but OPD is very screwed up, they are covering up this attempted murder for some improper reason.
While shooting Watkins, Jack accidentally shot a hole in the Aveo. I told OPD how to find it but they wont’ even look, won’t get a warrant, and the crime disappeared from their computer system mysteriously, someone tried to erase it.
The family wants Jack locked up because he’s crazy and seems likely to kill some of us some day, probably me, but there is definitely some racial reason for the cover up.
Please contact boatbrain@aol.com if you want more information.
We really need to talk about Black on Black crime and murder. The statistics are far more tragic than those of cops shooting Blacks, even though that is horrific too. I teach high school students in Oakland who are worried about making it to 21 with out getting shot in their neighborhoods of west and east Oakland.
Every 36 Hours [UPDATE] http://mxgm.org/report-on-the-extrajudicial-killings-of-120-black-people/
Watch this episode of Critical Insight for an in-depth discussion w/ Kali Acuno on the Every 36 Hours [UPDATE] MXGM
He speaks of a new MXGM report that is due out this February.
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