Black Control of the Police is a Democratic Right
The Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations held its annual conference in Chicago, highlighting its 19-point National Black Political Agenda for Self-Determination. Philadelphia coalition organizer Diop Olugbala said Point #3, demanding Black community control of the police, âis a democratic demand, in that it places control of the police directly in the hands of those most affected by police behavior. That means,â said Olugbala, âthat the police will cease to be an invading force that comes into the Black community looking for trouble, but will have to live in the community and share the contradictions of the community.â
Black Chicago Politicians are âin the Mayorâs Pocketâ
Veteran activist Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression united with the Black Is Back Coalition on community control of the police. His organization is pushing a measure to take âall the power away from the mayor, away from the independent police review authority, and putting that power in the hands of the people.â However, few of the measureâs supporters in the city legislature are Black. âMost of the Black aldermen are in the mayorâs pocket,â said Chapman, âand we have to change that.â
Flipping the Script on the NYPD
When the New York City Police Department held a community-oriented âNight Out Against Crimeâ in The Bronx, activists with the Freedom Cities movement staged a âNight of Safety and Liberationâ counter-event. âItâs about a community vision that people donât need a violent occupation force to keep the Black community safe,â said Albert St. Jean, of Freedom Cities and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. âThe community can cope with its own need for safety.â
Political Scientist Rejects Organizing Based on âPurely Ethnic Affinityâ
Cedric Johnson, a political scientist and associate professor of African American Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago, has no confidence in the long term effectiveness of organizing based on âa purely ethnic affinity.â Dr. Johnson told the Dead Pundits Society podcast: âThere are many different interests that are operating within the Black population at any given moment. Whenever we have these sorts of national agenda-setting exercises, what you get is a portrait of some of the different things that Black people want, but itâs not really a functioning agenda.â
Mumia: Trumpâs America Shows Its Nasty Butt
The events in Charlottesville, Virginia, reveal the raw racism endemic to the United States, said Mumia Abu Jamal, the nationâs best known political prisoner, in an essay for Prison Radio. To ask Trump to condemn white supremacists âis like asking grapes to condemn jelly,â said Mumia. âThey are part of him, and he is part of them.â
Black Agenda Radio on the Progressive Radio Network is hosted by Glen Ford and Nellie Bailey. A new edition of the program airs every Monday at 11:am ET on PRN. Length: one hour.
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