When I moved to Philadelphia, Frank Rizzo, a former mayor and police commissioner, had been dead for nearly two decades. Still, Philadelphians spoke about him with a passion and anger that was visceral. Rizzo’s legacy includes the untreated trauma that he inflicted on the African American community.
As I researched Philadelphia’s jazz history, I heard stories about how Rizzo harassed jazz musicians and club owners. So it is shocking that a monument of a man who was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for a pattern of police brutality that “shocks the conscience” is at the gateway to municipal services.
I looked at the story behind the story and learned the Rizzo monument was financed by his family. The public was never asked whether the vanity project was an appropriate monument for the City of Philadelphia. Not only was the public not asked, the vanity project was unveiled on January 1, 1999 after the Mummers Parade, an event that for decades featured marchers in blackface.
On the day Mayor Jim Kenney announced his endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic presidential nomination, it was reported Kenney has no plan to remove the Rizzo monument from Thomas Paine Plaza. Warren supports removal of Confederate monuments and the Confederate battle emblem from the Mississippi state flag.
I join Pennsylvania State Chapter National Action Network in calling on Warren to support removal of the monument of Frank Rizzo, a racist cop who trampled on civil rights, urged supporters to “vote white” and traumatized the African American community. You can read the press release here.
On Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Justice Department is launching a new initiative to collect data about stops, searches and arrests in an effort to “reduce tensions between law enforcement and minority communities.” Holder said:
This overrepresentation of young men of color in our criminal justice system is a problem we must confront—not only as an issue of individual responsibility but also as one of fundamental fairness, and as an issue of effective law enforcement. Racial disparities contribute to tension in our nation generally and within communities of color specifically, and tend to breed resentment towards law enforcement that is counterproductive to the goal of reducing crime.
Recent incidents of racial profiling have exacerbated tensions between Philly police officers and minority communities.
On Jan. 7, 2014, Darrin Manning, a 16-year-old honor student from a good family, was minding his own business. On a record cold day in Philadelphia, he was wearing a hoodie on his way to play in his school’s basketball game. That was enough for a Philadelphia police officer to stop him for “acting suspiciously.” Less than 24 hours after the illegal investigatory stop and violent pat down by a white female officer, Darrin underwent emergency surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Fast forward three months. Philippe Holland, a 20-year-old black man from a good family, is in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after two plainclothes police officers fired 14 shots into his car. Three of the bullets hit him. Holland is a pizza deliveryman who was on his second job when he was shot. This hard-working man may lose an eye because two Philly cops deemed a black man wearing a hoodie with his hands in his pockets is acting suspiciously.
Reminiscent of the Frank Rizzo regime, he must be smiling from the grave. Just another gang of thugs with no regard for the law and rights of citizens they are sworn and paid to uphold… 'Tainted justice'? That's just the tip of the iceberg. The cops are shooting innocent people in the streets like animals. That pizza delivery guy didn't choose to be in that neighborhood at that hour. It was his job. He was just trying to get home to his family. The fact that an innocent man with not even a traffic warrant ran for his life in that situation definitely indicates that there was something seriously wrong in the way they approached him. In his trying to protect his life they shot him down like a dog. It has to stop. Truly the worst of times have arrived when law abiding citizens need protection from so-called 'law enforcement.'
Indeed, from former Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo to current Commissioner Ramsey Charles, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
The new National Center for Building Community Trust and Justice should collect data about Philadelphia, where it’s always Groundhog Day. In 1979, the Justice Department accused then-Mayor Frank Rizzo of “condoning policies to commit random beatings, unjustified shootings and other flagrant civil rights violations.” The lawsuit noted the victims of police misconduct were overwhelmingly black or Hispanic.
But we don’t have to wait on the feds to hold officials, including the next mayor, accountable. Philadelphia Daily News columnist Will Bunch recently wrote:
Ask the men and women who want to be Philadelphia's next mayor after Nutter leaves office in 2015 what they will do to change the current system where so few allegations of police misconduct stick (remember this guy) and the end result is so often that the officer accused of wrongdoing gets his job back with back overtime pay (what is that, even?).
Sure, we can complain but to have an impact we must do something. So with a hat tip to the New York Police Department, we will use #myPhillyPD to tell the story of the Philadelphia Police Department’s pattern or practice of racial bias in law enforcement. The crowdsourced interactive map will help citizens hold officials accountable for their failure to end the culture of corruption that taints Philly police officers and breeds resentment and distrust in communities of color.
To get involved, post a photo to Twitter with the hashtag #myPhillyPD. Not on Twitter? No problem. Go to http://bit.ly/myPhillyPD and upload your photos.
To stay informed, follow us on Twitter: @myPhillyPD.
Friday marked the two-month anniversary of a Philly-style stop-and-frisk that made national and international headlines. A white female police officer conducted an illegal pat down of Darrin Manning during the course of which she grabbed his testicles. Less than 24 hours later, Darrin underwent emergency surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Friday also marked the date of Darrin’s appearance in Juvenile Court to stand trial on trumped-up charges stemming from the illegal stop and frisk.
To no one’s surprise, the District Attorney’s office requested a continuance because they are “conducting additional investigation into the underlying matter and the actions of the police during the arrest of young Mr. Manning.”
Judge Amanda Cooperman granted the joint request for a continuance. A status hearing will be held on April 28, 2014. Darrin’s presence is not required. Instead, his attorney, Lewis Small, and an Assistant DA will tell Judge Cooperman “where we go from here.”
Two months later, where are we? We still don’t know the name of the female officer who sexually assaulted Darrin. The blue code of silence has silenced Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. But it’s only a matter of time before he has to say her name.
We still don’t know why Officer Thomas stopped Darrin. The 2011 consent decree the City of Philadelphia entered into with the ACLU provides:
Stops and frisks shall not be permissible, without limitation, where the officer has only anonymous information of criminal conduct, or because the person is only “loitering” or engaged in “furtive movements,” or is acting “suspiciously,” or for the purpose of “investigation of person,” or on the basis of non-articulated “flash information,” or only because the person is in a “high crime” or “high drug” area.
In plain English, police officers are permitted to stop, question, and frisk individuals who are suspected of committing, having committed or about to commit a crime.
In calling on District Attorney Seth Williams to drop the charges against his client, Attorney Small said:
None of those conditions were met. There were no radio calls indicating any crimes being committed. Boys running on a very cold afternoon, without more, does not meet the [reasonable suspicion] condition, particularly when Darrin had stopped running and walked over to the police van.
With no allegation that Darrin was engaged in any criminal activity, the 16-year-old honor student is guilty of being arrested.
Seven weeks ago, Darrin Manning, a 16-year-old honor student, was minding his own business. On a record cold day in Philadelphia, he was wearing a hoodie and scarf on his way to play in his charter school’s basketball game. That was enough for Officer Thomas Purcell to make it his business to stop him. In Purcell’s worldview, a young black man is “acting suspiciously” when he bundles up against the cold.
Following the illegal stop, frisk and arrest, a white female police officer patted down Darrin. During the course of her illegal pat down, she grabbed Darrin’s testicles. Twice. Less than 24 hours later, he underwent emergency surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His operating physician wrote:
He [Darrin] was involved with an encounter with the police department during which his scrotum was grabbed and he reported acute onset of left testicular pain.
Those are some of the facts highlighted at today’s press conference. In attendance were Darrin’s lawyer, Lewis Small; his mother, Ikea Coney; Veronica Joyner, founder and chief administrative officer of the Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School of Philadelphia; and Paula Peebles, chair of the Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Action Network.
In calling on District Attorney Seth Williams to drop the charges, Attorney Small said:
What happened to Darrin is a case of stop-and-frisk run amok.
The fact that Darrin did not have a weapon and in fact is not a criminal seem to have no relevance to the police. Darrin was stopped for no reason. He was arrested for no reason. He was subjected to a brutal attack for no reason. The charges made against Darrin are not supported and should be dropped.
[…]
Darrin Manning has suffered enough. It’s time for the District Attorney to withdraw the charges in this case. It’s time to end this injustice.
Darrin and his mother have suffered enough. The trumped-up charges won’t shield the Philadelphia Police Department from being held accountable for engaging in a pattern or practice of stops and frisks undertaken without reasonable suspicion.
On Jan. 7, 2014, Darrin Manning, a 16-year-old honor student at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School, was on his way with his teammates to play a basketball game. He never made it. Shortly after exiting the subway, he was stopped by a Philadelphia police officer.
Darrin reportedly “caught his attention” because he was wearing a ski mask and running. Fact is, he was wearing a scarf given to him by the founder and chief administrative officer of his charter school, Veronica Joyner, who was concerned about her students’ well-being on a record cold day.
Following the illegal stop, he was frisked and arrested. A white female officer then performed an illegal pat down. Darrin told Philadelphia Daily News columnist Helen Ubinas:
She patted me down and then she touched my butt and then my private parts. And then she grabbed and squeezed and pulled my private parts and I felt something pop.
The following day, Jan. 8, Darrin underwent emergency surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Sperm tests will be taken in 90 days to determine whether the injuries inflicted on young Darrin will prevent him from fathering children.
Now get this: Instead of prosecuting the female police officer for police brutality, Darrin is facing charges. He is charged with four misdemeanors, including aggravated assault and resisting arrest. At his Juvenile Court status hearing, a March 7 trial date was set.
The illegal stop-and-frisk has sparked outrage across the country. The rupturing of Darrin’s testicle was a brutal sexual assault and an affront to human decency. The Pennsylvania State Chapter National Action Network called on District Attorney Seth Williams to drop all charges. (Disclosure: I’m PA NAN’s media liaison.)
Yesterday, PA NAN Chair Paula Peebles, President Matthew Smith, Sr. and I went to the Saturday Action Rally at the House of Justice in Harlem.
Peebles shared Darrin’s story with National Action Network members and Rev. Al Sharpton.
Sharpton said “nothing has alarmed me more than this case in Philly”:
We must do whatever we can to help the Philly chapter. There must be justice. … There must be a force that can immediately call for justice.
With few exceptions, so-called leaders in the City of Brotherly Love have said nothing. So later this month, Sharpton is coming to Philly to show Darrin some love and call out elected officials and “punks with handkerchiefs” whose silence is deafening.
For info and updates, follow PA NAN on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s address before the 1st Berlin Jazz Festival. In his opening remarks, Dr. King reflected on the importance of jazz:
Jazz speaks for life. The blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.
This is triumphant music.
Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.
It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.
Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.
On Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, the Pennsylvania State Chapter National Action Network (PA NAN) will return to its roots and present the 3rd Annual Jazz for Justice Fundraiser.
I hope you will join us as we party for a cause and kick off PA NAN’s 2014 advocacy in action. Tickets are $20.00 and include live jazz (the Unity Band) and a fish platter.
Proceeds from the event will help fund PA NAN’s social justice initiatives, including voter protection and voter mobilization for the midterm election.
Tickets may be purchased on PA NAN’s secure website (please click this link).
For info, please call (215) 765-6181 or send an email.
At the candlelight vigil for Laporshia Massey, I shared a few words with her father, Daniel Burch, and his lawyer.
As the family grieves and weighs its options, the outrage over the death of the sixth grader grows.
In an open letter, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry ripped Gov. Tom Corbett a new one:
Your office made sure to let Philadelphia parents know that your decision to release the 45 million dollars was based on quote “improvements” to the district – which closed 23 schools this summer. You made sure Philly’s parents knew that your decision had nothing to do with the death of 12-year-old Laporshia Massey, who died in September after an asthma attack.
Her family claims that she may still be alive if there had been a nurse at the school to recognize her symptoms and get her medical help. We may never know what would have happened if there was a nurse there that day. But the case brought our attention – the nation’s attention – to the sad state of Philly schools.
The money will not be used to rehire any of the more than 100 school nurses the district has let go in the past two years. As your administration said, Philly schools meet the minimum allowable by state law – one nurse per 1,500 students.
And that’s enough, apparently.
This is in a city where 22% of children have had asthma in their short lives – and more than half have ended up in the emergency room because of it. It’s the highest rate in the state. And asthma rates are worse among black children and poor children and inner city children across the country.
Governor, open your eyes to the fact that kids in Philly public schools – disproportionately black and poor – are needier than most. That means they need. More. More from you. And not just the bare minimum required. If we want these kids to have a chance at becoming happy, healthy, employed, taxpaying residents of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, shouldn’t we acknowledge that they need more to get there?
At a bare minimum, we need to know what happened at Bryant Elementary School. Without knowing the facts, the School District of Philadelphia exonerated its staff:
Because we want to ensure the safety of all children, it is paramount that we find out what happened to cause this tragic death. We are doing what is necessary to investigate what happened, and we are cooperating with all involved city and state agencies, as we always do, upon the death of one of our students. From our review to date, we are certain that our staff at Bryant are not the cause of the student’s death, and we will continue to address all concerns arising out of this tragedy.
Bryant is in Sen. Anthony Williams’ district. In a letter to Superintendent William Hite Jr., he called for a formal inquiry and public accounting:
Given that this is the second disturbing and high-profile circumstance to strike this school community within the past year, as the representative of this area – and as a neighbor – I am now asking you to formalize the inquiry and report out the results publicly.
My expectation is that such an investigation, coordinated with the police and district attorney, would reveal what issues and circumstances resulted in the child’s death, detailing if there are any elements of negligence, or, even criminal culpability. These are questions swirling around this community, throughout Philadelphia, and beyond. At a bare minimum, the community should be made abreast of the findings, for it certainly deserves answers, within the bounds of the law. While I recognize this is a somewhat unusual request, based on how things are normally conducted, the level of scrutiny in this matter warrants it.
