#the l-train

Mr. LeBron James,

As a Criminal Justice major I have classes that show me how dangerous being a colored person in America really is, and as a Mexican-American in a Trump Presidency I fear the actions that will be taken upon me sub-consciously or consciously and my family for not being the right color. Recently In one of my classes my teacher showed the whole class the video of the Philando Castile shooting. As I am sure you are sadly aware, Philando Castile had a gun and a license to carry. The conundrum occurred when Philando Castile declared to the officer that he did have a firearm on him. The police officer told Philando to not pull out the gun, Philando Castile told him he was not pulling it out, he was pulling out his ID to show the officer but because there was a misunderstanding the police officer panicked and shot Philando 7 times. Philando was just following orders, he was getting his license to show the officer but at the end of this interaction the police officer shot Philando Castile, in front of his daughter and girlfriend.

As civilians we don’t know the inner workings of police, we don’t know how to communicate with them correctly and because of this we usually end up in handcuffs or dead, especially if we’re black, Hispanic or Muslim. As minorities we aren’t as privileged as white Americans, we sometimes aren’t as well educated about our rights, and the way to we communicate with police, is more difficult because we fear what they might do to us. If you Lebron James are even reading this you might be wondering why I am writing to you, I am writing to you because I believe with your position and star power you could educate kids in your school and all over about their rights and proper communication with police.

           You would think as a Mexican-American Criminal Justice Major at San Diego State University, I would be well educated about law but as a brown man I still fear the police, the people who have authority and even people like Permit Patty who doesn't even have legal authority but thinks she has moral authority. I know my rights but that still doesn’t stop all the fear that comes with interacting with police. One wrong move towards the police or ICE and I may end up in a body bag or deported to Mexico even though I am a citizen. I believe that because I am lucky enough to be educated about criminal justice, this education makes me safer than the average person. I can easier navigate a police encounter. That’s why I want kids who are more likely to be stopped by police, kids of color, kids living in poverty, at risk youths to be taught about law and proper communication with police because the officers are trained but we are not, we need all the help we can get to survive a police encounter. I want to live in a world where senseless, avoidable deaths like Michael Brown and Eric Garner are rare or don’t happen at all, I honestly don’t want to fear for my safety in this place I call home.

           I value education and the power it can give me. The only reason I am in University right now is because I’m in this federal program called FAFSA, it pays for my tuition and gives me money on the side for books and other things I might need for school. This program helps me so much that I don’t know what I would’ve done without FAFSA, because if my parents or I had to pay for the tuition, it would’ve have destroyed us, and I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen to my family and I would for sure have not gone to university. The school that you opened is a ray of hope for kids that want change in their life, kids who want a better education, kids who want to reach their dreams. You are a hero because of this opportunity that you are given to them, and you are someone the school system should learn from, help at risk youths pursue knowledge to better themselves, and help the people around them.

           In your school there could be classes, programs, seminars, lectures whatever is best to teach children, at an early age how to interact with police. They should be taught that their actions are important and the way they talk must be clear to communicate correctly. Even if there was nothing done wrong one must be prepared to talk in a professional matter because talking o police are sometimes a life and death matter. In this world we must be knowledgeable because if we are not we get taken advantage of, especially us minorities. In this Trump presidency we must adapt and learn so that we don’t become another statistic. I believe that the best way for kids of color to be safe during police encounters is to be educated. They should know their rights and what to do when stopped by police because the police are trained but we are not. We get scared, we freeze, we say stuff that ends up hurting us in the long run. If there where classes in school, that taught us what to do in those situations we would be much safer.

I’m writing to you because recently you opened a school in your hometown Akron, Ohio for at risk youths. I also know that you care for kids even supporting organizations like Children's Defense Fund, After-School All-Stars and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I believe that you as a Black American knows it s hard being a minority in America and these programs that teach kids about their rights, and proper way to communicate with police is something that can help us. As a black father you may have already talked to your oldest sons how to talk to police officers. With your power and influence theses lessons can be taught to the less-educated, the non-privileged, the ones who really need this to survive in their neighborhood. Imagine well educated black, brown boys or men, talking their way out of a police encounter because they knew their rights and how to properly communicate with police.

           I know teaching kids is difficult, especially the less fortunate. Sometimes there’re problems in kids’ personal lives that we don’t see that can impact their education. This also impacts how they interact with police because education and crime are connected. The more educated one is the less likely they will resort to crime. As a donor of a school and because you are one of the biggest names out in the world, in media, in sports, you have a voice louder than others. People of all races, backgrounds, religion, look up to you as a grandiose figure, you’re in concerts dancing with Drake, making headlines switching from the Cavaliers to the Lakers, you are a household name in America. If you support this idea and/or implement this in your school, it can start a massive wave in the U.S. With any action you take, we can reach the ears of a bigger audience and get more people involved to make this happen. The movement has already started and recently there had been a law in Texas that requires ‘police interaction’ curriculum for all Texas high school students and it must be completed before they can graduate. Texas police hopes to foster a positive relationship between law enforcement and students across the state of Texas. I hope that you may see this as a pilot program and see that there are actions that can be executed by both school and law enforcement. Educating the ones that need to be educated can keep kids who are less fortunate out of jail when interacting with the police.

           Should you consider implementing programs/classes where kids are taught about the law, their rights and proper communication with police into your school or even start a dialogue we might see in the future less and less people of color getting shot by police. I hope that this idea helps people that really need this education to survive. I believe that as minorities living in modern American we need to be educated to stay alive, out of prison, and help keep our family safe because the ore we know, the more we are protected from misunderstandings.

Sincerely,

Hey guys, I made some cover art as part of a musical collaboration project by The L-Train, a super talented musician that I’ve been a long-time fan of! It’s a unique ska punk/metal piece about everyone’s favorite party pony! Obviously a spoof Reel Big Fish’s Cheer Up cover ;) 

Guys, I can't begin to explain how thrilled I am to share this with you. The biggest music project I've ever participated in to date. Enjoy the rock ^^