The Racist Murder of Oscar Grant
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by Phil Adams/PNN I’m a 25 year old mixed Latino/black male USMC veteran who lives in the East Bay. Racial profiling and police abuse of power is very real to me and in fact plays a part in my life every time I’m in a public place. I have been arrested for jay-walking and put in handcuffs without explanation and repeatedly pulled over for no reason. Police abuse is very real but for once it has gained some attention. On January 7, Several reporters and poverty scholars from POOR Magazine/PNN re-ported and sup-ported with several thousands other organizations and folks at the demonstration at Fruitvale BART the day before Oscar Grant III's funeral. There was a large shrine taped off for the memory of Oscar Grant III. There were many lit candles and personal statements from people who knew him such as “You will be missed”. “This has to Stop, as a black mother I can’t stand by and see our children murdered,” Queennandi, member of the welfareQUEENs of POOR Magazine and fellow staff writer spoke an impassioned scream into the mike for all young men of color. “Let’s call them the Po’Lice,” Tiny, co-editor, and formerly incarcerated founder of POOR came up to speak ending by talking about the connection between the case of young black mother Nadra Foster’s own po-lice terror because of a call by other so-called media-justice makers at KPFA and the police terror of Oscar Grant. The general theme for all the speakers was that we will no longer accept another missing generation of men and this injustice will not stand. Numerous chants filled the air: "Organize or die" "No justice, No Peace" One thing I think all the demonstrators knew is that it’s time for change and that we as a community working in solidarity will be the only way that change can occur. New Year’s eve 2009 a BART police officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Oscar Grant III in an attempt to restrain him on the Fruitvale BART platform in front of a crowded train car. BART will not release the security footage of the event and the officer has resigned so BART claims no action can be taken. Numerous videos of the slaying were taken by the cell phones and cameras of onlookers and released to various media outlets. Those are the facts. The city of Oakland has been plagued with police brutality and mistrust of the police for decades. What do you expect from the city where the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded? Being a 25 year old male of mixed racial background I have to ask people, how much things can change in a little over 40 years. This country was built on hundreds of years of slavery with vast economic gain due to free labor making it one of the most powerful nations in the world you think an addiction to free labor and money like that can just change overnight? Economic gain from free labor is the whole reason we have the most incarcerated people of any nation and we have to deal with this Orwellian police state. And that is the reason why Oscar Grant III was shot in the back in front of a crowd by a BART police officer. Oscar Grant III was hard-working young man holding down two jobs. Oscar Grant was a father. Oscar Grant was a son.. At the protest I had the chance to interview Sharon Raffety whose son had grown up with Oscar in Hayward, CA. She reminisced on when they were younger how they used to play little league and what he was like in the second grade. Oscar grew up in a religious household, his mother was a reverend and growing up his life was steeped in the church. Sharon told me like all young men he had his share of troubles but "kids make mistakes" and like most men do he matured and went on with his life. Before Oscar was killed he worked at Farmer John’s market and a Kentucky Fried Chicken to provide for his four year old daughter who is now missing a father. As far as I am concerned if, you shoot an unarmed person in the back you should go to jail I don’t care if its a mistake or you were angry or drunk or its a warzone, you shoot an unarmed person who isn't resisting in the back you should go to jail. But that would be equal justice. Not Just-US! Editors Note: DUE |