Original Post Date
2018-03-22 12:29 PM
Original Body
Wait! Since the late 80’s I’ve been protesting, advocating etc on police brutality against people with disabilities however today is totally different. I am use to reading and advocating for Black/Brown adults with disabilities but today our Black/Brown youth with disabilities are the growing cases of state violence in schools, on the streets, in group homes, locked up in jail, mental health facilities and even in their on homes when the police are called to "help" but a lot of times end of dead or abuse.
In the 80's and 90's I've volunteered and worked in non-profits of people with disabilities and worked in recreation, summer camps, after school programs to I.E.P. to respite to big brother programs but in this climate of state violence isn't it time for new disabled youth/young adults programs that helps all disabled youth not only avoid state violence but to bring healing, a voice, advocacy and artistic avenues to young disabled victims of state violence? In 2000 I wrote the article, The Blood Of Disabled Youth and poem Buried Voices speaking about the abuse and killings of/on disabled youth. Now it is 2018!
Has there been studies, cultural work, activism, youth programs on state violence toward youth with disabilities especially poor/Black/Brown youth with disabilities by youth themselves? Are our movements, non-profits, cultural work and activism from police brutality to the school to prison pipeline to police in schools to institutional living leaving out disabled youth??
Everybody changes when they have kids or are around kids however it seems like our disability community has done very little when it comes to state violence against youth with disabilities not only activism but providing programs after the targedy. Is it time to update what the disability non-profit industry provide to our youth? Is it time to really challenge disability orgs, youth programs in general on this topic?
One thing is clear and that is state abuse haven't stopped matter-of-fact it has only increase in the last five to ten years especially in police brutality and abuse at schools...
Remember in late 2016, when there was an spike of cases of brutality cases against Black/Brown youth and young adults with disabilities from police and school resource officers. Headlines like these are increasing daily even now in 2018!
1. Autistic teen gets beat up by cops in the Bronx Troy Canael
2. Mom Regrets Calling 9-1-1 for Help After Police Showed Up and Tasseled Her Nonverbal Autistic Son. Miguel Torruella
3. Autism Is Not A Crime’: Transit Police Beat St. Paul Teen During Arrest
Marcus Abrams
4. 11-Year-Old Autistic Student Charged with Felony Assault Kayleb Moon-Robinson
5. A ten year old autistic Black girl was pin to the ground and handcuffed by school police for climbing a tree.
6. Black teenager autistic girl tased at a Hip-Hop concert while having a grand male seizure.
These are only a small view of the bigger picture of police brutality that has been on the backs of Black/Brown youth with disabilities with very little or no reaction from mainstream movements.
So where are the services, cultural expression, activism and support, media for the above disabled youth who were victims of police brutality?
With the increase of not only the act of state violence but policies that target youth who are poor and of color that leads to abuse by the state on the streets and in lock down facilities, the time is over due to really change or increase radical youth programs that deals with state violence by and for disabled youth and young adults especially Black/Brown/Poor disabled youth and young adults! We need organizations' willingness to change and practice real program diversity and update their programs especially today as we see more and more state violence against disabled youth and young adults. If we don't then we, adults are not getting them ready for the real and harsh society that they are and will be living in.
Like what you might ask:
-Mintoring
- Cultural work like Krip-Hop Nation
- In school presentation on the issue of state violence & youth with disabilities
- Publications of disabled youth writings on the issue of state violence
- Reports by disabled youth
- And so much more
Video cip on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhRYx56-BQ&list=UU9pZG9vLOH7ak9igyMHxt3Q&index=11
Krip-Hop Nation’s 4th slideshow on Police Brutality Against People with Disabilities Focusing On Autistic People from adults to youth. Black, White, Brown, Transgender,…. List of people who were/are autistic and was profiled, abused or killed by police (Below). Most are Black/Brown youth.
No, mainstream media and some activists, autism is not a mental health disability yes any individual can have multiple disabilities however we must correct people when they erase and mislabel us & that includes the media. When people recognized police brutality only happens to people with mental health disabilities, they are not looking at many types of disabilities at our whole community. Our, Krip-Hop Nation's slideshows so far helps to open up our view of men, women, youth and transgender who are wheelchair users, have mental health disabilities and now autistic people. Next up are Deaf people. List of people with their age when the incident happened below…..
Latino youth, 10, year old
Tario Anderson, Black, 34 year old
Miguel Torruella, Black, 24 yrs old
Kayden Clark, White, Transgender Man 24 yer old
Troy Canales, Black, 17 year old youth
Marcus Abrams, Black, 17 year old youth
Christopher Perez, Latino, 16 year old youth
Kayleb Moon-Robinson, Black ,11 year old youth
Reginald "Neli" Latson, Black, 18 year old youth
Oscar Guzman, Latino, 16 year old youth
Stephon Watts, Black, 15 Year old youth
Paul Childs , Black, 15 year old youth
Tawnya Nevarez. Latino, 16 year old youth
Is It A Crime To Be A Black/Brown Disabled Youth? 1989-Today Changing The Answer To The Question
Is it a crime to to be a Black/Brown disabled youth
As a Black disaled elder I have spit this is the booth & now to you
Black disabled teens walking around with the Blues
Covered from head to toe with bruises
From the popo in blue
We all know what happened to Marcus Abrams
Right here in St. Paul
I learned of his case back in the Bay you all I called it child abuse
From 1989 I still cry out, Is it a crime to to be a Black/Brown disabled youth
Police brutality on Black/Brown disabled youth isn’t knew
The late 80’s to today the list grew
Growing up fast no time for fun
SF, 1988 Tony G., a 13-year-old Samoan boy with Down Syndrome
Was walking home with his favorite toy, a toy gun
In seconds SFPD gun him down
I’m still here to see what happened to Tamir Rice
You see these killings keep on coming back around
Troy Canales, Black, 17 year old youth
Marcus Abrams, Black, 17 year old youth
Christopher Perez, Latino, 16 year old youth
Kayleb Moon-Robinson, Black ,11 year old youth
Reginald "Neli" Latson, Black, 18 year old youth
Oscar Guzman, Latino, 16 year old youth
Stephon Watts, Black, 15 Year old youth
Paul Childs , Black, 15 year old youth
Tawnya Nevarez. Latino, 16 year old youth
Black young & disabled
Not even at the table
In Black activism
Because they haven’t dealt their ablelism
And the disability community haven’t dealt with their racism
So where do we go for support
Many want to leave their identities at an airport
Go far away to a planet of normal
But as a Black disabled elder I hate to bust their bubble
To say you must continue what many laid out & talk to your people
Don’t be fooled it’s not a grant proposal
Or get stuck talking to liberals
No reforms demand a complete overhaul
So Black disabled youth can walk down schools halls
Without being harrass by SRO’s
Back to ST. Paul
Marcus Abrams I wasn’t there
But know I here to catch your fall
To empower you to became a proud Black disabled man
it’s not a crime to to be a Black/Brown disabled youth
We would make everybody understand
By Leroy Moore Jr.