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M A R . 3 , 1999
(Elje JJortlauó (ß b serü rr
T he I s s u e
The Impact
O f Hate
Crimes
Racial prejudice m otivated 4,710
cases o f the 8,049 hate crimes reported
by the FBI in 1997. Prejudice about
religion accounted for 1,385 cases
and 1,102 cases were attributed to
bias about sexual orientation. African
A m ericans accounted for 39 percent
o f all the victim s targeted because o f
their race.
W hat can w e do - as individuals
and as a com m unity - to stop this
vicious cycle o f bigotry and hate?
T he M etropolitan H um an R ights
C e n te r (M H R C ) w ill h o s t a
C om m unity D ialogue addressin g
hate crim es on T hursday, M arch 11,
in the US B ank M eeting R oom o f the
Central Library from 11 :3 0 a .m .-1:30
p.m. T heC entral Library is located at
801S W 10'*’Avenue (between Yamhill
and Taylor) in Portland The dialogue
is free and open to everyone.
Detective D avid Y am asaki o f the
Portland Police Bureau Bias Crim es
Unit will participate in the dialogue -
defining what a hate crime is according
to Oregon Law and speaking about
the Bureau’s follow - u p after a hate
crim e has been reported. People will
have an opportunity to share personal
experiences and explose w ays to
strengthen a framework that addresses
hate violence.
To register, call Linda Hunter, 823-
5136 (Voice TTY). I f you are a person
w ith a d is a b ility a n d n e e d h rs
accom m odation, please call at least
48hrs in A dvance.
Murder
Verdict A
Sad Victory
T he P re s id e n t M u st A ct
rubbernecking is a capital offense if
P resident , N ational U rban L eague
your com plexion is black or brown.
Horrific cases like these capture
merica must take heed. The
headline
coverage. But day in and day
anger among A frican A m en-
out,
there
are voluminous low-profile
Lcans and Hispanic Ameri
encounters
that undermine trust and
cans over the lack o f respect, the
foment
tension
as well.
mdignities, and the physical abuses,
In New York City in the aftermath o f
and deaths they endure from some—
theofficers’ ferocious assault Diallo
too many— white rogue police officers
was struck by 19 o f the 4 1 bullets fired
is close to the boiling point.
at him as he stood at his door in a
That is the clear message o f the
narrow hallw ay— the stories o f the
fierce and widespread public anger
a b u se r e s id e n ts o f th e c i ty ’s
provoked by the killing early this
p red o m in an tly black and L atino
month o f Amadou Diallo, an unarmed,
neighborhoods routinely endure have
law-abiding immigrant from West
come flooding forth.
Africa, by four white New York City
This m onth several colum nists in
plain clothes police officers.
th e c i t y ’s n e w s p a p e rs h a v e
From Riverside, California to New
c h ro n ic le d the o ften w ren ch in g
York City, blacks and Latinos are being
experiences o f adults and teenagers
victimized by the police, ih e names o f
in black and L.atinos neighborhoods
som e o f these victims have made
who w ere stopped and frisked by the
headlines because o f extraordinary
police on the streets on nothing more
violence involved: Jonny Gammage,
than “ suspicion.”
Rodney King, Abner Louima, and now,
In the past two years, officers o f the
Amadou Diallo.
city’s
elite street crimes unit stopped
Indeed, just last week, in Pittsburgh,
and
frisked
45,084 people. But that
a w hite police officer was arrested for
action
resulted
in only 9,546 arrests—
the Decem ber shooting death o f a
m
eaning
that
35,000 people were
black motorist who had slowed down
stopped and frisked on the streets
to gaze at a drug arrest. Apparently,
b e c a u se th ese o ffic ers gu essed .
the p o licem an had d ecid ed that
By Hugh B.
P ric e
A
wrongly, that they were carrying guns.
O f course, it is not only in New
Y ork C ity, nor only to a few,
unfortunate individuals that these, at
the least, infuriating and humiliating,
at worst, deadly, racial encounters
with white police officers happen
T h e se p a tte r n s o f p o lic e
misconduct, including the notorious
prac t ice o f the rac lal pro fi ling o fblack
and Latino motorists, have plagued
people o f color for years.
T h ey are n o t u n c o n n e c te d ,
is o la te d in c id e n ts ; a n d th e ir
cum ulative impact on constructive
race relations all across the country is
devastation.
African Americans and Hispanic
Americans read newspapers, watch
television and tune into radio like
ev ery b o d y else. W ord o f th e se
senseless encounters and systemic
ab u ses sp re a d s lik e w ild fire
throughout our communities. They
claim v ic tim s a ll a c ro s s th e
socioeconomic spectrum.
Silence will not sooth those who
experience, see, and hear o f these acts
o f instant injustice. Inaction fuels
mistrust and anger along racial and
ethnic lines, and underm ines the
credibility ofourcnminaljustree system
and the legitimacy o f civil authority.
As the all-too-frequent victims o f
crim e, we African Americans want to
n d our communities o f enm e. But
surely we also have the right not to be
preyed upon by our protectors.
T h a t’s w hy I ’ve ap p e aled to
President Clinton to becom e directly
involved in this issue.
In discussing his O ne America
initiative, h e’s made it clear that he
sees racial reco n ciliatio n as the
centerpiece o f his legacy.
M oreover, having presided over a
welcome decline in national crime
statistics and having led an increase in
federal assistan ce for local law
enforcement, he has the credibility to
force this needed dialogue and force
a balanced solution.
We at the National Urban League
believe that, among other things, the
President should:
Utilize his Office to draw national
attention to this crisis and urge that
elected officials, law enforcem ent
o fficials and com m unity leaders
w ork together to devise genuinely
A Call for Investigation into Killings Across the Country
T u e sd a y , F e b ru a ry
Tyisha M iller was a 19-year old
16, Rev.
A frican A m erican w om an brutally
Ja c k s o n tra v e le d to R iv e rsid e ,
Com m ission concluded that riots in
W hen they arrived at the gas station,
gun. Tw o m inutes after Tyisha was
Tyisha asked the gentlem an to take
killed, her uncle arrived w ith a key to
W atts, Chicago. D etroit and Newark
C alifornia at the invitation o f the
killed by 4-6 w hite police officers on
her friend home, w hich he did.
the car. Thursday - two days after
w e re
Tyisha M iller family and com m unity
December 28,1998.
W aiting for help to arrive, Tyisha
Rev. Jackson’s visit - the Riverside
unemployment among people o f color
H ere is w hat we know about the
locked h erself in her car, reclined her
coroner finally released the report
or w oefully inadequate schools. In
case so far:
seat, and placed a handgun on her lap
from the autopsy on Tyisha. All o f
each case, acts o f brutality by iogue
On her way
for protection. W hen family arrived,
the bullets fired into Tyisha entered
p o lic e ag a in st in n o cen t A fric an
homew'itha
T y is h a w as h a v in g a s e iz u re .
her body from the rear. The coroner
A m erican victims led to the riots.
Although, Tyisha had never been
called the death a “hom icide."
leaders to offer them his support.
frie n d ,
Local authorities have y et to
car got a flat
taken by the Justice D epartm ent and
other agencies to rem ove violent,
T hey have n ot yet
reckless and yes racist elem ents in
indicated exactly how many officers
police departments an explosion o f
were involved.
frustration and anger is imminent.
someone to bring a key to the car.
s h o o tin g .
step o f a troubling judicial ordeal. No
one should ever be subjected to
heinously w renching type o f act that
Mr. Byrd experienced during the final
to the side
By the time police and medical
o f the road.
p e rso n n e l a rriv e d , T y ish a w as
A short time
unconscious. The police shook the
la te r ,
a
car to try to wake Tyisha. but were not
The officers are now on paid
adm inistrative leave.
W ithin the next couple o f weeks.
Rev. Jackson will seek to convene a
w h ite
able to. Tyisha’s cousin, who called 9-
This incident in Riverside is not an
m e etin g o f civil rig h ts lead ers,
g e n tle m a n
1 -1, told the police that someone with
isolated one. In Southern California,
representatives from com m unities
a key was ju st a few minutes away.
there have been two other race-related
stunned by police brutality, and top
H ow ever, instead o f w aiting for a
killings by police in Clarem ont, CA
Justice Department officials including
spare tire for
key and without getting the advice o f
and Santa M aria, CA in the last few
A ttorney General Janet Reno and
h e r,
an d
m edical personnel on the scene, the
months. In New York City, the killing
A ssistant AG for Civil Rights Bill
e s c o rte d
police decided to break a car window
o f A madou Diallo is ju st the m ost
Lann Lee in W ashington to make
s to p p e d ,
put on the
her to a gas
to get to Tyisha. W hen the care
r e c e n t in c id e n t fro m a p o lic e
people accountable for their crim inal
s ta tio n
w indow broke, the police fired about
department riddled with officers who
behavior and stop the killing.
two dozen shots into the car striking
are out o f control. There have also
Rev. Jackson said, “W e all want
healing, but for there to be healing,
federal crim inal codes to set tougher
penalties for persons w ho w illfully
w here they
c a lle d th e
Tyisha 12 times in the head, neck
been killings in Miami andC hicago in
injure or attem pt to injure anyone
because o f his/her perceived race,
fa m ily
arm s and back.
the las, couple o f months.
to
pick her up.
Rev. Jesse Jackson
T ension is growing in our cities.
release the toxicology report on the
pulled over
will be introduced soon in the House
and Senate. The bill w ould am end the
h ig h
is epileptic. They called 9-1-1 for
medical help and called hom e for
pass anti-hate legislation.”
The N A A C P anticipates that The
H ate Crim es P revention A ct o f 1999
by
diagnosed with epilepsy, her m other
tire and she
shouts across the w orld o f the urgent
need for C ongress to strengthen and
sp a rk e d
T y is h a ’s
N A A C P P re sid e n t an d C E O
K w eisi M fum e said, “ T he guilty
verdict in the Jam es Byrd, Jr. M urder
trial is a sad victory in this, the first
m om ents o f his life. This slaying
not
Unless, c lear and dec isi ve ac tions are
p o lic e o ffic e rs in v o lv e d in th e
color, religion, national origin or
effective solutions.
Convene a White House summit
this spring; and press those invited—
mayors, police chiefs, civil-rights and
community groups, young people, and
others— to find constructive answ ers.
Instruct the Justice D epartm ent to
conduct public hearings around the
country to ferret out evidence about
the patterns o f police m isconduct,
excessive use o f force and abuse o f
civil liberties.
A n d , d ir e c t th e
J u s tic e
D epartm ent to form a task force to
devise guidelines for state and local
law e n fo rc e m e n t a g e n c ie s th a t
em ploy tactics like N ew Y o rk ’s elite
stree t crim es unit. T he p u rp o se
w ould be to prevent the offensive
practices and protect civil liberties
w ithout underm ining effective law
enforcement.
In P re sid e n t C lin to n ’s— an d
A m erica’s quest for im proved race
relations, there is no w ay to sidestep
th e s e a r in g is s u e o f p o lic e
m isconduct and abuse.
T h ere sim ply can n o t be O ne
A m erica iflaw enforcem ent officials
have license to split Am erica apart.
N o shots w ere fired by T yisha’s
Thirty-one years ago, the K em er
w e m ust clean the glass out o f the
w ound first.”
sexual orientation.
M fum e sa id , “ T he p re d a to ry
nature o f this horrific crim e by John
W illiam King, who was know n to
have a w hite suprem acist background
and training, should be thw arted in
every possible way. H ate is still a
very destructive force in A m erica and
requires the strongest sanctions and
penalties that the law can provide.”
M fum e w ent on to say that, “O ur
thoughts and prayers go out to the
Byrd Fam ily. W e hope this is the first
o f three guilty verdicts that will help
begin to ease the terrible burden they
have had to b ear since their beloved
father, brother and son w as viciously
dragged to his death last June in
Jasper, T exas.”
Gentrification
SAFEWAY
FOOD & DRUG
Look For Your
Safeway W eekly
WLEODFK
Shopping Guide
- For Better O r Worse?
In Y o u r O re g o n ia n F O O D day
G entrification has been defined as
the restoration and upgrading o f
deteriorated urban property by the
m iddle classes, often resulting in the
displacement oflow er-incom e people.
How has gentrification affected your
neighborhood?
The M etropolitan H um an Rights
C e n te r (M H R C ) an d SE U p lift
Neighborhood Program will facilitate
a C o m m u n ity
D ia lo g u e on
G entrification, Tuesday. M arch 16,
from 6:30pm 9:00pm a,B rentw ood-
Darlington Center, 7211 SE 62nd
(betw een D uke and Flavel). The
dialogue - open to everyone - is an
opportunity for information exchange,
c lari fication ofviewpoints and working
together for the com m on good.
To register, contact L inda H unter
a, 823-5136 (Voice TTY). Ifyou are a
person w ith a disability and need
accom m odation, please call at leas,
48 hours in advance.
in the P ortland M e tro Area
...a n d save m o re by sh o p p in g
at Safeway
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