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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 21, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------Working together to stop police brutality
From a talk by Mary Kay Harris at the Dec. 2-3 Workers World Party conference.
I am an organizer for a grassroots organization called Direct Action for Rights and Equality. It has existed for 14 years. DARE has become the largest and most active community group in the city of Providence, earning its reputation for action.
My campaign is community safety and police accountability.
I got involved with DARE, and was fortunate enough to meet the Workers World Party in 1996, shortly after my teenage son was brutally attacked by a Providence cop--which changed my life. I began protesting, speaking out, attending press conferences, even marching against police brutality, the prison-industrial complex, sexism, racism, capitalism and imperialism. I guess this became my calling in this life.
Last Jan. 28, Providence police beefed up racial profiling and stereotyping to its fullest by killing a 28-year-old Black, off-duty police officer who was dressed in a black hooded jacket and a cap. This story was featured on the 60 Minutes television program last week.
The police said they killed him because they thought the way he was dressed he looked like a perpetrator. The next day I went on CNN and a local radio talk show and stated, "If this young man was not Black he would still be alive."
Four days later I led over 500 people into the Providence City Hall, shutting it down and demanding that the mayor admit this was a racial killing. This action and other marches, speak-outs and press conferences forced them to create two commissions on Race and Police.
This does not match the continuous work that DARE is doing to keep racism out in the spotlight and to build the movement to fight for change. We have been able to plant watchful eyes from DARE on both of these commissions, which are just a pacifier to shut up the oppressed people.
I continue with allies such as Workers World Party, Nation of Islam, legal and religious groups to make sure this is not another smoke screen.
I just want to end by saying, stay encouraged-the harvest is ripe--and now it's time to reap the fruit of our consistent labor.
Stop police brutality! Free Mumia Abu-Jamal! Free Leonard Peltier!
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