Anderson@Large

Up Against a Brick Wall

Last week, Mural Arts Philadelphia unveiled Portraits of Justice, a public art project to engage ordinary citizens in conversations about transforming the criminal justice system.

Jeffrey Krimes and Russell Craig’s powerful murals overlook the statue of Frank Rizzo, a former police commissioner who had close ties with Italian mobsters and hung out at Black Mafia-owned joints on “The Strip” in West Philly. As mayor, Rizzo was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for a pattern of police brutality that “shocks the conscience.”

The murals’ bricks represent barriers to reentry. With their close proximity to Rizzo, the background brings to mind the former police commissioner gloating that his officers ordered Black Panthers up against a brick wall and forced them to strip naked in front of the news cameras. The August 31, 1970 incident is one of the many reasons Rizzo is loathed by African Americans.

The murals are designed to empower the public to reimagine a criminal justice system that is more than “just us.” To my surprise, they helped me reimagine a Thomas Paine Plaza without the Rizzo statue. The sheer size of the murals and the facial expressions are a silent rebuke to the monument to racial injustice. Tellingly, the family-commissioned hunk of junk has to be caged to protect it from the public.

Life on Parole

It has been less than two weeks since now former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams pled guilty to one count of violating Pennsylvania bribery law. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Diamond was so outraged by Williams' mountain of lies, he revoked his bail and ordered his immediate detention.

When Williams is sentenced in October, Judge Diamond will likely impose the statutory maximum of 57 months and a $250,000 fine. Club Fed will be hard on Williams but not as hard as the life that awaits him as a returning citizen. At the recent Beyond the Walls: Prison Healthcare and Reentry Summit Prison, speaker after speaker underscored that reentry begins inside the walls. So if the former DA has TV privileges, he should check out Frontline’s “Life on Parole,” a look at Connecticut’s efforts to reduce recidivism.

The documentary airs on PBS on Tuesday, July 18. To check your local listing, go here.

#ReclaimMLK Coalition Call to Action

On Monday, January 19th, the nation will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King. In Philadelphia, a broad-based coalition will remember the drum major for justice by reclaiming his legacy and marching for justice, jobs and education.

The #ReclaimMLK coalition is moving beyond the sanitized version of Dr. King (Full Disclosure: I’m a member of the planning committee). We are taking back the King Holiday and organizing MLK D.A.R.E. (MLK Day of Action, Resistance and Empowerment). At least 10,000 demonstrators are expected to take to the streets on the day of action and agitation.

The #ReclaimMLK coalition’s demands include an end to stop-and-frisk, an independent police review board, a $15-an-hour minimum wage, a fair funding formula for public schools and a democratically-elected school board.

The planning meetings are held at the historic Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. Mother Bethel’s Pastor Rev. Mark Tyler said:

It’s only fitting that we open our doors in light of the role of the Black Church during the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, our founder Bishop Richard Allen opened these doors in 1817 for the first large scale, national demonstration of free African Americans.

To get involved with #ReclaimMLK, please complete a short volunteer form.

For more information, like us on Facebook.com/ReclaimMLKPHL  or follow us on Twitter.

15 to Life: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads:

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

The United States is the only country that inflicts life without parole on juveniles. In the landmark Graham v. Florida decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the imposition of life without parole for non-homicide crimes was cruel and unusual punishment for a juvenile offender.

The 2010 decision gave “juvenile lifers,” including Kenneth Young, hope for a second chance.

Tonight on PBS’s “Point of View” documentary series, you can hear his story:

In June 2000, 14-year-old Kenneth Young was convinced by a 24-year-old neighborhood crack dealer — Kenneth’s mother’s supplier — to join him on a month-long spree of four armed robberies. The older man planned the Tampa, Fla. heists and brandished the pistol—and, on one occasion, he was talked out of raping one of the victims by his young partner. Fortunately, no one was physically injured during the crimes, although the trauma that resulted was immeasurable.

When they were caught, Kenneth didn’t deny his part. It was his first serious scrape with the law. But at 15, he was tried under Florida law as an adult. Astoundingly, he received four consecutive life sentences — guaranteeing that he would die in prison. 15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story follows the young African-American man’s battle for release, after more than 10 years of incarceration, much of it spent in solitary confinement. The film is also a disturbing portrait of an extraordinary fact: The United States is the only country in the world that condemns juveniles to life without parole.

Check out the trailer.