So you may have heard about the harassment of negroes and hispanics by police officers before. In New York City they've given it a fancy brand name and call it “Stop and Frisk” — but ask many people of color and they’ll tell you they’ve dealt with it for years. In the current trial about the policy the sitting judge weighed in yesterday
“A lot of people are being frisked or searched on suspicion of having a gun and nobody has a gun,” Judge Scheindlin, of Federal District Court in Manhattan, said on Monday during closing arguments in the trial. “So the point is: the suspicion turns out to be wrong in most of the cases.”
Say what?
You mean targeting brown and black folks and getting it wrong 90% of the time is a bad thing? That’s justmadness. Between that and the recent NYPD statistics showing that the incredibly necessary practice of Stop and Frisk which keeps everyone so safe had dropped 50% and by some sort of black magic (get it?) crime also dropped.
MADNESS I say.
So in an effort to call shenanigans to all of this and raise awareness of the problematic practice I put out an open call to artists, activists, lawmakers, and anyone who agreed this is a problem. I was joined by Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri X and Florida artist (who produced the track) Willie Evans Jr. and a bunch of personalities like NY Times best seller Baratunde Thurston, Daily Show Co-Creator Lizz Winstead, New York Councilman Jumaane Williams and many more. Check out the finish product and let me know what you think. And if you enjoy it please feel free to share the holy crap out of it. We’re hoping to make it clear that this sort of harassment is never okay.
