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The following letter to Peter Jennings was originally posted at Davey D’s Hip Hop Daily News. Dear Mr. Peter Jennings:
Where was urban peacemaker Nane Alejandrez of Barrios Unidos? You could’ve reached out to him as well as actor/activist Harry Belafonte who was just on Air America Radio talking about the work he has been doing with Barrios Unidos and other organizations to help LA gangs set up legitimate businesses. He even took a number of them to Africa. I would've liked to have heard how LA police Chief Bratton and the LAPD were doing with their interactions with those community leaders. After all, Chief Bratton kept repeating over and over that the police can not do this alone.
Why didn’t Prime Time interview Minister Tony
Muhammed of the Nation of Islam? The NOI has a long history of working
with gangs in LA. Many of their members have grown from gang life thanks
to their tireless efforts. Last year they were helping organize a 100,000
Man March in LA to help spark change. How has LAPD fared in working
with the NOI? You could’ve gotten former gang member Bone who was both a consultant and shown in the movie “Training Day.” Actor/ Rapper Ice T, rapper Kam, record exec Micheal Conception, Alex Sanchez of Homies Unidos, author Louis Rodriguez, former Senator Tom Hayden, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, activist Fidel Rodriguez of Divine Forces Radio or activist Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope, all could’ve been in the piece. The list goes on. The names of these community folks are well known. How were they overlooked by ABC Prime Time?
One profound statement
that you made in your report was that the police are in the community
some of the time, but
the gangs are there all of the time.
I would venture to say that scores of these unsung heroes and sheroes
are also in the community all of the time. Many of them have
been
putting in work day
in and day out trying to end gang violence while simultaneously dealing
with a notorious, out of control police department, which is
seen by many as the root cause for many of the flare-ups
and increased frictions and hostilities
between gangs. The significant role they play in fueling gang tensions
is an issue Prime Time touched upon and then skirted over,
especially when you spoke
about the Rampart
Scandal.
As Chief Bratton stated his goal was to try and heal the huge rift and mistrust that exists between the police department and the Black and Brown communities of South Central LA. Part of that healing comes with dialogue. He got to share that with you and the rest of the country during your one hour special. But now I think as a seasoned journalist who many of us look up to, you have the challenge and responsibility to bring to light those other perspectives that were missing from your Prime Time report. You spent a year working with the LAPD. I hope you take a year to spend time with some of the aforementioned organizations and individuals so you can convey to the country their hardships, challenges and success stories. Perhaps their tireless efforts can be a clarion call for those who had no idea that such activities were going on. This is extremely important since ABC is getting ready to do a similar special focusing on the NYPD. It would be a shame to leave viewers who have never been to
Los Angeles, with the false perspective that the only ones
putting
their necks on the line to
end poverty, oppression and violence in the community is the police.
It would also be a shame to not squarely address the full
extent of police corruption
in South Central LA and similar communities and how it systematically
undermines ongoing efforts to bring about positive change. Amer-I-Can Barrios Unidos Bo Taylor, Unity One The LA Uprising: 10 Years Later, DaveyD.com All HipHop.com Theory/Practice,
News & Letters LA Weekly, Crips and Bloods Unite Tom Hayden, “Homies Were Burning Alive” Upfront Productions Divine Forces Radio Davey D can be contacted at [email protected] |
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June
10 2004 |
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