Video: Cited by Kazemde Ajamu

Written version retold by Ishakamusa Barashango: There was a traveler who had gone around the world He had been to many different countries. One day he was in the western portion of *Alkebu-lan and he came across a city named Pali. As he stumbled upon this city, he walked from one end of it to the other and spent all day there. His mouth opened in amazement because he has never seen anything like this in all of his travels throughout the world. He had seen many things, having traveled and studied different cultures, cities, and nations. He kept walking around shaking his head because he could not believe what he saw.

Finally, he saw a venerable old man in the direction of the setting sun. As he was moving along, he said to the man, “Sir, please forgive me for disturbing you.” The elder said, “What can I do for you, my brother”? He said, “Look, I’m perplexed. I need you to help me. I’m wondering if I got sunstroke as I was traveling or maybe I’m suffering from some type of hallucination. What kind of experience am I having?” The elder, not quite understanding the traveler, said, “Just what is it? What is happening with you, my son?” “Well, I have traveled this whole city, and every place I went, I saw fine homes, every one of them looked like mansions. Everybody in the city is dressed well, they wear their finest **kinte cloth. They have a look on their face – a glow of happiness. They seem to be prosperous. They look healthy. The children are safe. I see them everywhere, all over the city. I have not been able to find one piece of trash on the streets.

I have not found one poor person in the whole city. Not one beggar! Now that cannot be! Everywhere I have traveled in this world, you have the rich, a middle class, and on the bottom, you always have the impoverished. No matter where I go, this is the case. Even on this great continent of Alkebu-lan, I have experienced this. This is the only city I have ever visited where I have not had that experience.” It was a shock to the traveler and he just couldn’t seem to understand. “What I’m seeing,” he continued, “is that everybody in this city is wealthy! Is this true?!”

“Yes, they are,” replied the elderly man. The traveler replied, “But how can this be? How did you all accomplish this?” The elderly man replied, “Well sir, whenever someone comes to this great city of Pali and they desire to become a resident, we meet in council. The Council of Elders and the Mothers of the City come together. We interview the person and present them with questions. After our spiritual priest and priestesses observe the person, we meet again in a closed session. If we decide that this person has the kind of character we would want in our community and that they will bring something of value to this community, then we accept them as a resident.

On the day that we welcome them into the city of Pali, there is a large gathering and celebration. Everybody brings a brick and a dollar.” The traveler asked, “Well… how many residents do you have?” The elderly man thought for a moment. “Just over 100,000. So on the day, you are welcomed into the city, each person presents you with a brick and a dollar. When you come here, you start out with a mansion and $100,000.

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Our local police department is full of good people. Meanwhile, instances of violence against unarmed people of color by police officers are way too high. We need to enact federal legislation that governs how and when cases are investigated, ensuring that everyone receives the same protection under the law and that we have a methodology in place to hold people accountable for their actions. This should be coupled with state and local ordinances governing police conduct and pushing for malpractice insurance per officer. This solution will force change at every level of our justice system, from federal to local communities.

The unrest we’re currently witnessing is no great surprise. I’m surprised it has taken this long for America to have this toughest of conversations.  Nor should anyone be surprised that the killings of our Brothers and Sisters at the hands of police or vigilantes will continue. My Mother always said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” More maddening is we as a community, continue doing the same things and expecting a different result. We as Black people are at war…fighting on multiple fronts… for our children and our sanity. Fighting for dignity and simple human justice on multiple fronts tells us that new strategies and tactics are necessary. As a community, we as Black people must learn from one another. These unique times suggest that those who care about justice must be at the table. And those of us at the table must be mature enough, committed enough, and WISE enough to hear all ideas.  Nothing should be left off the table, AND ALL OF US must be committed to learning…new strategies, new tactics, new ideas, intergenerational sharing, new ways to resolve conflict, and researching what others are doing. There are multiple discussions taking place around the country amongst different segments of the population.  A number of agenda items are on the table pertaining to the Black community and law enforcement.  One topic under review…once again… is the call for the creation of Civilian Review Boards.  On the contrary…studies have shown many problems with this citizen activist model.  Research shows Civilian Review Boards are highly political, partisan enterprises ineffective, without decision-making powers, and without backbone as Mayors demur to the needs of the police.  These boards are historically low-funded operations with minimal or no staffing. It begs the question…if these entities cannot address at the most basic level, citizen’s complaints about police, must black people spend valuable time and political capital working to create them?

Should our strategies then be electoral?  We should work to elect county attorney’s willing to prosecute and take action against police misconduct in the Black community.  Cities such as Philadelphia, Boston, and San Francisco have done so and have made an incredible difference…refusing to prosecute victimless crimes, prosecuting police officers for misconduct, eliminating cash bail, and, in this pandemic, releasing those awaiting trial for non-violent crimes or who’s age might make incarceration a death sentence. Do we use our collective clout to impact the state attorney’s general and the Federal department of Justice?  Let’s take a look at what some organizations and advocates are doing.

• Color of Change—a nonprofit racial justice organization, launched a unique tool…: a searchable database of “every prosecutor in all 2,372 municipal jurisdictions in the United States. The database, part of a larger project called Winning Justice, is meant to hold top county prosecutors accountable for their actions, as well as create a mirror of transparency for the public. Another justice is non-profit.
• Campaign Zero has done extensive work on police reform. Campaign Zero created an 8-point police reform package called 8cantwait. 8 Cantwait speaks directly to the current times we live in today:
  1. Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds
  2. Require De-Escalation
  3. Require warning before shooting
  4. Exhaust all alternatives before shooting
  5. Duty to intervene
  6. Ban shooting at moving vehicles
  7. Establish use of force continuum
  8. Require all force be reported 

*** Data proves that together these eight policies can decrease police violence by 72%On Capitol Hill, Senator Kamala Harris is advocating for tightening the national standard for the use of lethal force law enforcement. The current standard is:“In the United States, the use of deadly force by sworn law enforcement officers is lawful when the officer reasonably believes the subject poses a significant threat of serious bodily injury or death to themselves or others.”What Sen. Harris proposes is to change the standard to whether or not lethal force is necessary at all. If this small but significant change becomes law, we could see a higher number of police convictions and certainly fewer police shootings.

Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA 45th District) proposes creating a national database to track officers who were fired for using excessive force from securing employment as a law enforcement officer in another jurisdiction. I, personally like this proposal, but in my view, it doesn’t go far enough. For example, If the federal Department of Justice is responsible for managing the database it would be subject to the political whims of whatever party is in office…on the left and on the right Allow me to share a little story.

A couple of years ago I was appointed to serve on a commission to interview and recommend candidates for a new Chief of Police. The Committee reviewed resumes, interviewed candidates, and provide recommendations to the City Council. A quality I was looking for in a Chief was their acceptance and commitment to work as partners with community leadership…A Police Chief that would come into the community and encourage his or her officers to do the same. Relationship building, in my view, is critical for successful police-community relations. As a commission member, I was able to see clearly the pitfalls that exist in the system. For instance, I quickly learned about POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) When an officer is under investigation or has been disciplined, that action is annotated onto POST. POST has the power to revoke, suspend or place officers on probation.  However, in Georgia, accused Officers will resign before an investigation is completed and secure employment as law enforcement officers in a new jurisdiction without penalty.  In Lithonia Georgia, for example, an officer was charged with rape and aggravated assault   Previously this officer was a policeman in Atlanta, where he resigned due to misconduct.  The officer in question, David Wilborn, POST had this to say about him“Wilborn allegedly admitted to supervisors that he approached the woman at the lingerie shop where she worked, followed her into a back room, and engaged in the act, POST records show. The police department sustained the allegations for absence from duty and conduct unbecoming an officer. In 2010, Wilborn’s police certification was suspended for two years and he received a public reprimand from the POST council. He was hired by the Lithonia Police department in July 2017.”Source: Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionIn another high-profile killing, the officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice, Timothy Loehmann was removed from one department after he showed a “dangerous and reckless loss of composure” during firearms training” yet he was hired as a patrolman for the Cleveland Police Department. After killing 12-year-old Tamir, Timothy Loehmann is now a patrolman with The Bellaire Police Department,  a community of 4,000 across the Ohio River from West Virginia. The point is, Officers not convicted of a crime can escape discipline and move to different departments.In all cases of police misconduct, the American taxpayer bears the brunt of it. When families sue, that financial settlement comes out of the pockets of the taxpayers…the very same community that’s been injured. The best policy that I have seen, comes from One Million Conscious & Conscientious Black Contributors & Voters (OMCCBCV).  Their policy plank concerning Police Reform proposed back in 2016, never got any traction. I’m not sure why. I assume police political activity had something to do with it.  However, I highly recommend studying this proposal and implementing it. Admittedly even in this current political climate, this policy would be tough to pass and enact.  however, if we as a Black community embrace our political power and use ii effectively, I believe we can win. We simply need to provide our elected leadership the backbone to secure the justice that we seek.“All duly sworn enforcement officers and their administrative superiors should be required at their own expense, or with assistance from their unions, to purchase and maintain in effect, misconduct insurance similar in nature to the malpractice insurance that is required of doctors and other medical professionals, so that they are held financially accountable to whomever they wrongfully harm in violation of rights assured by the United States constitution or financially accountable to the family members of anyone they murdered “The implementation of Misconduct insurance for all law enforcement officials will go a long way to reform the use of lethal force laws. Insurance companies are uniquely qualified to provide oversight because it’s about money and not politics and/or relationships. Insurance companies would only be interested in protecting their bottom line, paying out as few settlements as possible. If mandated by law that all instances of misconduct or use of force are documented, Insurance companies can increase premiums on the officer or the department or if sufficient changes or reforms are not implemented, drop the insurance policy, rendering that officer or officers unable to work anywhere. If a death occurs at the hands of the police and a wrongful death suit is brought by the family, the taxpayer by law would not bear that expense.

Police Departments should also be held accountable through a rating system. Patterns and Practice violations must come at a cost to the department. Departmental budgets should decrease, and officers’ premiums should increase. We are told constantly that there are more good officers than bad, yet, because of the “Blue Code of Silence,” the good ones remain silent. Misconduct insurance would provide financial incentives to cleanse the department of bad police officers.

Many of us are asking what should we do? What can we do to significantly impact this crisis our community is facing at a time when we are also facing a pandemic, massive unemployment, business closings, hunger, and lack?   We are traumatized by institutional racism.  The lies of America have been exposed for all the world to see.  In the spirit of our ancestors and for the future of our young, it is incumbent upon us to act.  Register to vote. Read.  Ask questions.  Think.  Get involved.  Take control of our lives and our communities.  Our children’s future depends upon it.

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According to the Georgia Department of Education, African American students make up 36% of Georgia’s students.  Yet the curriculum does not reflect the myriad accomplishments and contributions African Americans have made in all subject areas.  Educational research has demonstrated that culture is the key—the critical mediating factor in increasing student achievement for African American students.  When African American students have a culturally relevant and responsive curriculum, student engagement and achievement increase.

As citizens of the State of Georgia who are concerned about the education of all children, in general, and African American children, we would like to propose legislation that requires that teachers teach the African and African American contribution to all subject in PK-12 public schools.  This is beneficial for African American students and all students.

As a means to bring forth legislation, we would like to create a 16 member task force comprised of, Legislators, educators and scholars from around the State of Georgia. The State of Georgia’s African American History Task Force will be housed at the Black Dot Cultural Center in Lithonia, Ga. Our mission would be to study the Amistad Commissions’ of South Carolina, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York who brought forth similar legislation along with Florida’s Statue 1003.42(h) with its Task Force mission and goals: “The State of Florida’s African American History Task Force works to ensure awareness of the requirements, identify and recommend needed state education leadership action, assist in the adoption of instructional materials by the state, and build supporting partnerships.”

African American History Policies in the Selected States

The state of South Carolina was a forerunner in recognizing the need for the infusion of African American history into the curriculum.  The South Carolina Council for African American Studies (SCCAAS) reports:

In 1984, South Carolina state lawmakers recognized the need for a broader, more inclusive portrayal of the nation’s history that would recognize the experiences, ’ experiences, culture, and contributions.  They carried into law, under the Education Improvement Act of 1984, S.C. Code Ann. § 59-29-55, that stipulated that by the 1989 – 1990 school year, each public school of the State must instruct students in the history of the black people [African-Americans] as a regular part of its history and social studies courses.  They also require under this law that the State Board of Education shall establish regulations for the adoption of history and social studies textbooks, which incorporate black [African-American] history and shall, through the State Department of Education, assist the school districts in developing and locating suitable printed materials and other aids for instruction in black [African-American] history (http://sccaas.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1581466).

The Florida legislation, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois have all convened an “Amistad Commission” for a better and more accurate rendering of the role African Americans have played in the development of the United States of America. The law for New Jersey’s Amistad Commission was passed in 2002.  The statute indicates the specific duties and responsibilities of the New Jersey Amistad Commission as it relates to public education:

a) to provide, based upon the collective interest of the members and the knowledge and experience of its staff and consultants, assistance and advice to public and nonpublic schools within the State concerning the implementation of education, awareness programs, textbooks, and educational materials concerned with the African slave trade, slavery in America, the vestiges of slavery in this country and the contributions of African-Americans to our society;

b) to survey and catalog the extent and breadth of education concerning the African slave trade, slavery in America, the vestiges of slavery in this country, and the contributions of African-Americans to our society presently being incorporated into the curricula and textbooks and taught in the school systems of the State; to inventory those African slave trade, American slavery, or relevant African-American history memorials, exhibits and resources which should be incorporated into courses of study at educational institutions and schools throughout the State; and to assist the Department of State, the Department of Education and other State and educational agencies in the development and implementation of African slave trade, American slavery, and African-American history education programs; and

c) to act as a liaison with textbook publishers, public and nonpublic schools, public and private nonprofit resource organizations, and members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to facilitate the inclusion of the history of African slavery and African-Americans in this country in the curricula of public and nonpublic schools http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2002/Bills/PL02/75_.HTM).

New York’s Amistad Commission, formed in 2005, is slightly different from New Jersey’s.  It does not deal with African history before the African slave trade.  This is a significant omission because Hilliard noted six deficiencies in most school curricula, the first of which is the fact that “there is no significant history of Africans in most academic disciplines before the slave trade” (Hilliard, Payton-Stewart & Williams, 1990, p. xx).  New York’s legislation states:

It is the policy of the state of New York that the history of the African slave trade, American slavery, the depth of slavery’s impact on our society and American history, the triumphs of African-Americans and their significant contributions to the development of this country, and the involvement of the entire nation, is the proper concern of all people, particularly students enrolled in the schools of the state of New York. (http://www.dos.ny.gov/amistad/legislation.html)

The Illinois Amistad Commission, again, while admirable, makes the same mistakes as New York and New Jersey:

It is the policy of the state of Illinois that the history of the African slave trade, slavery in the Americas, the depth of their impact in our society, and the triumphs of African Americans and their significant contributions to the development of this country is the proper concern of all people, particularly students enrolled in the schools of the state of  Illinois (http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0285)

Florida Statute 1003.43(h), the State of Florida convened an Education Commissioner’s Task Force on African and African American History.  The law, Florida Statute-1003.43(h), was passed in 1994 and indeed required that public school educators teach African and African American contributions across the curriculum:

…the history of African Americans, including the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of African American society [emphasis added] (http://www.afroamfl.org).

Florida Statue 1003.42(h

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=1000-1099/1003/Sections/1003.42.html

The State of Georgia’s African American History Task Force mission is to bring forth a comprehensive set of benchmarks relative to achieving the African American history legislation.

The benchmarks include:

1) School board approval of the African American History Initiative;

2) Structured professional development;

3) African American Studies Curriculum;

4) Structured teaching of the African American History Curriculum;

5) University-School district collaboration;

6) Parent/Community partnerships.

As our State Representative on the Education Committee, your assistance in this process is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Chike Akua, Ph.D.

Kazemde Ajamu

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In an attempt to further an agenda of voter suppression, states are moving beyond limiting city government’s power to putting local election officials on a proverbial leash.

In 2020, major cities/counties across the country had to adapt to the pandemic to promote best practices to protect their citizens’ health by changing the voting process.  They had to accommodate individuals who were unable to vote in person either due to the risk to their health or to the health of others due to illness.  In order to “curb the spread,” the absentee ballot process was expanded to include all registered voters, increased the number of ballot drop boxes – some with 24-hour accessibility – and other locality-specific efforts.  It had been suggested that rural areas follow suit, however, that was a very limited effort overall.

Fast forward to the present day where Republicans everywhere are doing their damnedest to ensure that the turnout that ousted their ‘leader’ doesn’t happen again.  The thought of the same outcome during the upcoming mid-term elections is simply too much for them to bear.  People they weren’t counting on to vote showed up in record numbers to their chagrin and they, quite frankly, just didn’t like it. 

Like the spoiled, whiny brats that they are, they became desperate to protect what they deem as ‘theirs.’  The race to suppress voting rights was on and the gun was fired as soon as the election was called.  In part, they are not only looking to make it more difficult for individuals to be able to cast votes but also limit governments’ authority to ease the voting process for their constituents.  In some incidents, they are looking to strip them of the authority to run their own elections at all.

Georgia has gained the most attention thus far for its new voting law passed last month.  In it is a provision that allows the state election board to not only suspend but replace local election officials.  This board has a majority of its members appointed by the legislature – which is controlled by the GOP.  In short, the board can remove any local election official who works to expand access to the polls contrary to the desire of the state.  This prevents them from taking their specific situations into consideration to make the process more efficient and effective for their voters.  Iowa has taken it a step further by making it a felony if local election officials don’t follow the secretary of state’s guidance.

Some states are working to bar absentee ballots from being sent to persons who don’t request one while others are looking to ban the ballot boxes with 24-hour access as well as the drive-through polling sites.  Many are looking to complete a purge of their voter rolls.

Among the other states who have passed and are seeking to pass these increasingly restrictive laws are Iowa, Arkansas, Texas, Wisconsin and Missouri.  These same states have recently looked to undercut local democracy when it became clear they had pockets that were looking to implement progressive policies.  This move seeks to prevent grassroots efforts from becoming permanent fixtures in the areas affected by the proposed changes.  The local government seeks to pass something and the state government passes something else to cancel it out.

Metro Atlanta was hit hard with allegations of fraudulent elections prompted by #45 – particularly when Georgia turned blue.  To say race isn’t at the heart of this issue is to say that slavery never existed.  Other “chocolate” cities including Detroit and Philadelphia were also targeted.  Allegations of long-standing fraud began to come out of the woodworks to attempt to discount the integrity of these areas.

In Michigan, the state’s infamous water crisis was born out of its use of the Emergency Manager law.  This allowed the state to take over the local government (primarily used in predominantly African-American communities) to have more control over public spending.  In the midst of a budget crisis, the city changed its water source.

While many of these lawmakers and alleged public servants have been screaming that the election was stolen, they are setting out to do the same.  These laws are simply a mechanism for them to control election outcomes.  They are so afraid that the institution that has allowed them to get to this point and gain power will begin to crumble that they will stop it at all costs.

As we seek ways to dismantle what they are trying to build against the people for whom they were elected to serve, we must seek to understand the larger strategy.  This strategy also encompasses a negative impact on local reforms, state level preemption as well as gerrymandering.  This system can and should be dismantled – and it will take a concentrated and joint effort to be properly executed.

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