The role of the NAACP has become more important than ever in today’s charged racial climate and policing of the Black community. Rolling out reached out to the Atlanta branch of the NAACP and its president Richard S. Rose to discuss these pertinent issues.
How are people victimized by the police?
People are victimized by the over-policing of people of color, systemic culture of police brutality coupled with cover-up philosophy, and the lack of accountability for reoccurring issues of police violence.
What are the current threats to the Black community and their civil rights?
The current threats to the Black community and their civil rights are voter suppression movements by many states, a lack of voter empowerment and education on key issues, and some voter apathy in local and state elections. Voting is not an option, we must vote in order to protect our civil rights.
What is your concern with the current state of the local police force?
Our Main concern with the current state of the local police force is the lack of urgency in the implementation of President Obama Initiative on 21st Century Policing. President Obama Plan addresses all areas of concern around the issue of Police Violence, racial profiling, Police training, Technology and lack of funding. If BLUE Lives really Mattered, the following the orders of the Chief Law Enforcement Officer would matter because LAW MATTERS. No Police Department in the country has fully implemented the President’s Plan.
What do young, Black men and women face from police custody that concerns you?
We are concerned with the increase of police violence on black men and women in police custody coupled with the lack of accountability for deaths associated with police violence while in custody. It is dishearten the repeated examples of cover-ups in these cases and the attempts to blame the victims of this atrocities. We must have accountability in the cases from #Tamir Rice to #Jamarion Robinson.
Who is responsible for the police and community breakdown in trust?
All parties have some level of responsibility for the breakdown in trust, however lack of community engagement and understanding by Law enforcement towards the community is fueling the erosion of trust by the community.
What about police culture causes the Black community to be terrorized by the police?
Generally the systemic institutionalized racism and lack of cultural diversity within police culture is the main problem cause problems between the Black Community and Law Enforcement. The problem is further heightened by the “War on Law Enforcement” rhetoric coming for the Police Unions and Police Leadership Structure, instead of building bridges of understanding with the community that is being policed. Police and Community Engagement on a human level is needed drastically to solved the mistrust between the Police and the community.
What would you say to the police chief about the local police officers?
We would say to the police chief that the majority of local police officers are doing their jobs, however the lack of accountability for the bad officers is shining a bad light on the entire force. The public demands swift accountability for all incidents of officer misconduct, the culture of cover-up and deniability must end. The good officers need to weed out the bad officers and hold them accountable to the citizens.
Does the community trust the police trust?
The community’s trust for the police is torn at this point. The lack of accountability for some many officer involved shooting and police violence has driven a wedge in the trust toward law enforcement once had from the community.
What is the role of the NAACP and why did you become a part?
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
How important is it for the community to join and be a part of the NAACP?
It is supremely important for the community to join the NAACP because we have the capacity, the experience, and the track record to force long standing political, educational, social, and economic change. We have not been in this Movement from a moment, we have been in it for a millennium.
What should the hip hop generation know and how would you like to see them get involved?
The hip hop generation should know that these problems have been in the country since its inception and unless we join together to fight White supremacy, we will continue to deal with these problems. The United States of America is the only country in the world where a revolution can occur without a bullet by the use of the ballot. The power of the ballot and voting cannot be understated and we must use that power. If you do not vote, your voice will not be heard. Voting affects some much more than just the election of lawmakers and the creation of laws, it allows you to sit on a jury to determine exactly how the criminal justice system works at a trial.
The NAACP is important because?
For 107 years, Black lives have “mattered” to the NAACP. We are the oldest continuous civil rights organization in the country and we have led every movement for civil rights since 1907. The police have lost our confidence to hold bad police officials accountable and they must implement the President’s initiative on 21st century policing immediately to rebuild that trust. We must defend our voting and civil rights by voting in the every federal, state and local election and holding the politicians accountable for the failure of the criminal justice system and police violence.
