Video Exclusive: David Floyd on Why He Sued NYPD

In the last 11 years, the New York City Police Department has conducted a staggering 5 million stop-and-frisks. Of those who were stopped and patted down for “seeming suspicious,” 86 percent were black or Latino, according to an NYCLU report. In 2012 alone, police made 533,042 of these stops with 89 percent resulting in no arrest or ticket.

The city insists that the policy keeps guns off the streets. But young black and Latino men describe scenes of fear and toxic stress, of always wondering if the cops are going to throw them up against a wall, strike them, and arrest them.

Claiming that the stop-and-frisk program feeds on racial profiling and violates the constitutional rights of New Yorkers, the legal advocacy group Center for Constitutional Rights filed Floyd, et al v. City of New York, et al, a federal class action suit that seeks to stop the abuses plaintiffs say are built into the program.

The Floyd hearings began last Monday and are expected to continue for weeks or months. As is often the case in legal proceedings, the hearings will stay mostly in the legal weeds. That can make it easy to forget that this is about the day-to-day lives of millions.

One of those is the man the case is named for, David Floyd, a 33-year-old medical student. Colorlines.com caught up with the lead plaintiff in the biggest cop suit around as he was leaving New York City for school after a week in the city to testify in court. He told us that he’s been stopped and frisked twice and that, as an activist, he’s felt and witnessed the trauma that these day-to-day encounters cause.

Watch Floyd tell his story in this exclusive Colorlines.com video.

—Seth Freed Wessler

Two plainclothes police officers shot and killed a teenage boy late Saturday night on a Brooklyn street, after he pointed a handgun at the officers, the police said.

The police said the officers, patrolling in an unmarked car in East Flatbush, came upon the teenager, identified as Kimani Gray, 16, in a group of men just before 11:30 p.m. The teenager separated himself from the group and adjusted his waistband in what the police described as a suspicious manner.

As officers got out of the car to question him, Mr. Gray turned and pointed a .38-caliber Rohm revolver at them, the police said; two officers fired, hitting the teenager. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Kings County Hospital Center.

Mr. Gray did not fire the handgun, which was recovered at the scene. Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the Police Department, said the six-shot revolver was loaded with four live rounds.

“After the anti-crime sergeant and police officer told the suspect to show his hands, which was heard by witnesses, Gray produced a revolver and pointed it at the officers, who fired a total of 11 rounds, striking Gray several times,” Mr. Browne said.

Mr. Gray’s sister, Mahnefah Gray, 19, said that a witness to the shooting told her that her brother had been fixing his belt when he was shot. She, among others who knew Mr. Gray, said they had never known him to have a gun. Even if he had one on Saturday night, he would not have pointed it at police officers, Ms. Gray said.

“He has common sense,” she said.

A woman who lives across the street from the shooting scene said that after the shots were fired, she saw two men, whom she believed to be plainclothes officers, standing over Mr. Gray, who was prone on the sidewalk, clutching his stomach.

“He said, ‘Please don’t let me die,’ ” said the woman, 46, who gave her name only as Vanessa. One of the officers, she said, replied: “Stay down, or we’ll shoot you again.”

[photo: a man walks by a discount store on June 12, 2012 in Brooklyn. getty images/spencer platt]

Last Month’s Good Job Numbers Still Spell Trouble for Blacks and Latinos

Welcome news came on the unemployment front this morning. The Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate in the U.S. fell to the lowest level in four years, dropping to 7.7 percent. With job creation at 236,000 jobs last month, America is approaching employment growth levels that could make a real dent in unemployment. Several more months at close to 250,000 and the economy may well be on it’s way.

But don’t break out the fireworks yet. Disturbingly, black and Latino unemployment remains frighteningly high. This fact pushes me to point out two giant yellow caution signs flashing before the February jobs report.

The first is that we’ve been at “good news” points before. Remember “green shoots” and “recovery summer” and the other economic cheerleading platitudes which never materialized? The bottom line is that one month’s bump doesn’t equal a trend.

Just last year, the economy seemed poised to take off. In the 3rd quarter of last year economic growth for example shot up to 3.1 percent into clear recovery territory. But the next quarter it fell back to earth, barely eking out any growth at all. Why’s that? The answer lays in Washington.

Political gridlock in Washington prevents the economy from getting any traction. The House GOP’s commitment to preserve a special place for the wealthy through tax cuts financed by budget cuts is creating enormous uncertainty. The schizophrenia in Washington is showing up in herky-jerky economic data.

Moreover the policies that DC ends up agreeing to also halts any forward momentum we might have.

As part of the fiscal cliff deal last month, the White House and Congress agreed to allow payroll taxes—which hit middle and low wage earners the most—to rise by $125 billion. This increase is forecast to shave growth in 2013.

And the downdraft of uncertainty and off-beat policies doesn’t end there.

With almost a million job cuts looming as a result of sequestration—alongside impending budget battles on keeping the government running for the rest of the year and raising the nation’s debt ceiling—who know’s what the true employment outlook for the rest of the year might be?

The other cautionary sign flashing is that black and Latino unemployment remain at economic-depression levels. One of out of seven blacks and one of out 10 Latinos is out of work. If this trend holds, it’s a worrying sign.

Blacks and Latinos falling behind as the rest of the economy falls forward is not where we need to be. With black and Latino wealth in the tank, the lack of jobs is a double blow. It could mean that the divide between black and brown communities and the rest of America becomes that much greater.

As I have long advocated, that’s why we need race-specific policies. Why? Because black and brown unemployment has race-specific dimensions that need targeted remedies.

Until Washington gets its act together and gets back on the side of average Americans, our jobless numbers—like all other economic indicators—are likely to be up and down.

anarcho-queer:

Submitted by: sydlow

Thanks sydlow! I just sent this flier to organizers and they love it.

Justice for Reynaldo Cuevas

Reynaldo Cuevas was shot and killed by an NYPD officer on September 7th, 2012, after escaping from an armed robbery at the bodega he worked at. He was dragged 25 feet away by police and left to bleed for 20 minutes as witnesses yelled at them, informing police that he was an employee of the store. A few days later the community held a vigil for Reynaldo and marched with his family to the 42nd precinct to demand justice. Since then, the Cuevas family has held a candlelight vigil every Saturday at the corner of the block here he was killed. Less than two months later, on October 27th, the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike Reynaldo’s cousin and friend were riding, killing one and paralyzing the other. A witness from the scene says the NYPD rammed into the dirt bike purposely. 

We need to let the NYPD know, they cannot get away with this. We will not give up. We are stronger.

More information on facebook, search for “Justice for Reynaldo Cuevas”

jahalath:

Border security is the top priority for the Senators charged with reforming our immigration system. Immigrants must take a back seat to enforcement.

The US-Mexico border will become more militarized under Obama and Congress’ proposal, even though Republicans admit that border security is at an all-time high. Drone usage will be ramped up, but Republicans assure tax-payers that these aren’t the kind of drones that kill.

45% of undocumented people enter the US on temporary visas and stay until after they expire. The gang of 8 hopes to implement an exit-entry system so that all temporary immigrants are tracked and removed. A new taskforce will also be created that gives Southern politicians more say over border control. 

What is going ignored in this kerfuffle- by immigration activists and legislators alike- is that militarized borders means the death of innocent people.

It was reported late last year that border deaths have reached a historic high even though migration from Mexico is at a net 0. Routine stories of ICE, Border Patrol, and racist Minute Men militias ‘accidently’ murdering immigrants surface from time to time. There was the brutal case of  Brisenia Gonzalez, a 9 year old who was shot in her Arizona home after a gang of Minute Men raided her house pretending to be Border Patrol agents. In 2010, Anastasio Rojas, a 42-year-old Mexican migrant worker, was tased and beaten to death at the San Ysidro border crossing by more than a dozen Customs and Border Protection officers. And in late 2012, a 15 year old Mexican citizen was shot 7 times by Border Patrol when he was on the Mexican side of the border. BP claimed that they were targeting ‘illegal drug traffickers’ nearby.

Let’s not forget that the Obama administration has deported more people than Bush. Nearly 2 million people have been forced out of our country, and thousands are detained, arrested, and deported every month- including Dream Act eligible youth who are supposed to be immune and their family members.

No one, including prominent migrant activists and corporate advocates, will talk about what border security actually looks like: not a fence, not a wall, but a trail of blood leading to a stack of brown bodies.

tranqualizer:

queersex:

unapproachableblackchicks:

Unless you’ve been following the work of Monica Roberts, The Opposing Views and David Lohr over atThe Huffington Post, you probably don’t know that a trans teenage girl from Charlottesville, Va., has been missing for nearly 20 days.

Since Sage Smith was first reported missing on Nov. 22, there has been virtually no mainstream media coverage of her abduction. There has only been one local story produced, and in it reporters consistently use the wrong pronouns to identify her, and the story only mentions the name she lives by once, as though it were a nickname. Even worse, the local authorities who are spearheading the search for her have reportedly lost their suspect without much hope of finding her.

….

The failure to show LGBTQ people of color as active and vital members of our communities and families perpetuates the dangerous stereotype that LGBTQ people of color are either nonexistent or that our identities are invalid. The media has failed to shine light on the targeted violence that trans women of color continue to endure. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 40 percent of anti-LGBT murder victims in 2011 were transgender women; there have been 11 reported murders of trans women in the U.S. this year alone. The media have also failed to contextualize that violence alongside the discrimination that trans women of color face as a result of racism, misogyny and transphobia, and most Americans are unaware of these severe disparities in access and opportunity. Were any of these things factors in Sage’s disappearance? We don’t know. But by ignoring her story, the media are further alienating an already marginalized community and identity. We’ve seen this story before. Remember Mitrice Richardson? She was a 24-year-old African-American lesbian woman who was missing for nearly a year before police uncovered her dead body.

Praying for her safe return.

xX KCB xX

Breaks my heart

Sage has been missing since Nov. 22nd - it’s been over two months now.

you can find more information on how to support the efforts to bring Sage home safely here

TRIGGER WARNING: police brutality, abuse of power, police harassment of a child.

firstladysexyfineass:

hiphopandinsubordination:

thirdeyeblinking:

datingdisastersofaqueergirl:

kemetically-afrolatino:

NYPD Cops handcuff and interrogate Bronx boy, 7, for 10hours over missing $5

“Reyes was handcuffed and verbally, physically and emotionally abused, intimidated, humiliated, embarrassed and defamed,” the documents say. He was then charged with robbery.

“My son was crying, ‘Mommy, it wasn’t me! Mommy, it wasn’t me!’ I never imagined the cops could do that to a child. We’re traumatized,” Wilson Reyes’ distraught mom, Frances Mendez told The Post last night.

“Imagine how I felt seeing my son in handcuffs!’’ she said. “It was horrible. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

it’s a racist police state in The Bronx, raising kids to be criminals.

school-to-prison pipeline is in full effect #thenewjimcrow

SEVEN FUCKING YEARS OLD

ACAB doesn’t even come close. 

HE IS A BABY 

HE’S A FUCKING CHILD. The fuck, yo?

WHAT THE FUCK

oh jesus fuck

TRIGGER WARNING: police brutality, abuse of power, police harassment of a child.

tentacled-kitty-candy:

perseidbadger:

duffmansean:

stfuconservatives:

Upworthy posted these today, and I was devastated to discover that they were not an image set on their Tumblr. Seriously, though, the food service industry needs a complete overhaul. In the mean time, enjoy your food!

not to downplay the importance of this post, but in what universe is minimum wage $8.25???  Here in Florida it was just increased to $7.79, effective January, 2013 [x].  

The bizarro-universe in which minimum wage is $8.25 is…several places, actually, but specifically it’s $8.25 in Illinois, where the creators of these graphics are based.

It’s also $8.25 in Connecticut, where I live. I’ve heard people in other states express jealousy over that *~exorbitant~* amount, but our cost of living is disproportionately high, so the dollar difference is hardly enough.

minimun wage is 7.25 here

96% of restaurant workers do not earn paid sick days forcing 76% to work while ill. 

a minimum wage worker earns $8.25 an hour, meaning it takes hours to afford the basics: 

monthly chicago transit authority pass: 12.12 hours

groceries for a family of four: 66.25 hours

rent for a one bedroom apartment: 103.4 hours 

most retail workers don’t know when their full day off is. only 17% are given set schedules to plan their lives around.

57.4% of low-wage workers are over 30 and do not make enough to support themselves

a mcdonald’s employee must work more than 1,000,000 hours to equal the CEO’s salary.

angryasiangirlsunited:

Applies to a lot of Asians living in a lot of different countries!

“hey can you say my name, Bob, in your language?”

Bob? 

“no no say it in YOUR language”

Bob you fucker!

queersex:

unapproachableblackchicks:

Unless you’ve been following the work of Monica Roberts, The Opposing Views and David Lohr over atThe Huffington Post, you probably don’t know that a trans teenage girl from Charlottesville, Va., has been missing for nearly 20 days.

Since Sage Smith was first reported missing on Nov. 22, there has been virtually no mainstream media coverage of her abduction. There has only been one local story produced, and in it reporters consistently use the wrong pronouns to identify her, and the story only mentions the name she lives by once, as though it were a nickname. Even worse, the local authorities who are spearheading the search for her have reportedly lost their suspect without much hope of finding her.

….

The failure to show LGBTQ people of color as active and vital members of our communities and families perpetuates the dangerous stereotype that LGBTQ people of color are either nonexistent or that our identities are invalid. The media has failed to shine light on the targeted violence that trans women of color continue to endure. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 40 percent of anti-LGBT murder victims in 2011 were transgender women; there have been 11 reported murders of trans women in the U.S. this year alone. The media have also failed to contextualize that violence alongside the discrimination that trans women of color face as a result of racism, misogyny and transphobia, and most Americans are unaware of these severe disparities in access and opportunity. Were any of these things factors in Sage’s disappearance? We don’t know. But by ignoring her story, the media are further alienating an already marginalized community and identity. We’ve seen this story before. Remember Mitrice Richardson? She was a 24-year-old African-American lesbian woman who was missing for nearly a year before police uncovered her dead body.

Praying for her safe return.

xX KCB xX

Breaks my heart

Sage has been missing since Nov. 22nd - it’s been over a month now.

you can find more information on how to support the efforts to bring Sage home safely here

shasana:

sancophaleague:

Recently I was in the shopping mall  and I happened to hear a conversation between some people discussing their dislike for this black girl’s hairstyle who had just previously walked by. One of them called the girl’s  hairstyle “ghetto”, then followed up by saying  “I hate when black girls put all them colors in their hair”. It led me to ask this question, what is ghetto really?  Because I have seen similar hairstyles with Caucasian women never labeled as ghetto. The word “ghetto” has a negative stigma attached to it and it seems like ghetto has become synonymous for “Black People”.
What determines whether something is Ghetto or not? Why do some people consider one ghetto and not the other? Is being crafty with the supplies available to me ghetto?  Is being creative while black unacceptable? Does the price of something determine whether you should consider it ghetto or not? Or maybe I’m wrong…. Please do share your thoughts….

@hated_logic

You’re exactly right. Just like when Black people improvise, it’s ghetto, but let a middle-to-upper class white person do it, it’s a lifehack, or being thrifty, or economical, or thinking out of the box, or brilliant, or whatever.

lati-negros:

writeswrongs:

cavetocanvas:

Gordon Parks, Dr. Kenneth B. Clark conducting the Doll Test, Harlem, New York, 1947

In the “doll test,” psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark used four plastic, diaper-clad dolls, identical except for color. They showed the dolls to black children between the ages of three and seven and asked them questions to determine racial perception and preference. Almost all of the children readily identified the race of the dolls. However, when asked which they preferred, the majority selected the white doll and attributed positive characteristics to it. The Clarks also gave the children outline drawings of a boy and girl and asked them to color the figures the same color as themselves. Many of the children with dark complexions colored the figures with a white or yellow crayon. The Clarks concluded that “prejudice, discrimination, and segregation” caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-hatred. This photograph was taken by Gordon Parks for a 1947 issue of Ebony magazine. (via)

You want to know what is exceptionally fucked up?

The same study was replicated in 2008.  Dark-skinned children still by far selected the white doll.  Repeatedly. 

Dr. Kenneth B. Clark - Panamanian

[photo: a demonstrator is holding up a sign that reads, “brown is not a crime. stop 287g racial profiling.”]

inquisitivebibliophile:

Another t-shirt to get made.

287g is a county by county program that formalizes relationships between local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, granting police power to identify, process and detain folks they assume are violating immigration laws, are here without papers/undocumented/etc.

without surprise, this program does the most harm to brown communities. 

janetmock:

I’m tired of being erased from history, pretending that trans women and people of brown/black/red/yellow/etc skins do not matter, don’t have brains and stories and substance and identities and loves and lives that should be elevated. 

This erasure is violent and dangerous and needs to change. We as a LGBTQIA community can not let this just go on. We can’t take crumbs and say, “Well they covered us, right? Look they have Santiago Cortes in the piece!” No, we must say:

“Cover us in all our glorious intersections and diversities or LEAVE US ALONE. We’ll tell our own stories.”

shoot, not even sure if I like Santiago all that much for letting genders that exist in other gender constructs - often hijacked by western centric, white colonial gender bearing trans folks (Two-Spirit, Hijra, etc) - roll off their tongue. 

aside from depthless conversations about depthless addition to letters into an ever growing acronym, i’m also confused as to why this is under fashion & style?