Successful Community Meeting Addresses Racism And Police Brutality

On December 7, 2004, Rochester City Councilman Adam McFadden and the 21st Century African American Leadership Council convened a well attended community meeting to address racism and brutality by members of the Rochester Police Department.

On December 7, Rochester City Councilman Adam McFadden and the
21^st Century African American Leadership Council sponsored a
community meeting, at which Councilman McFadden discussed two cases of blatant
abuse of citizens by members of the Rochester Police Department, which he
witnessed first hand in October of this year. Mr. Joe Brown, who was recently
appointed President of the Rochester Chapter of the NAACP, was also in
attendance. Mr. McFadden told the diverse audience of between 70 and 80 people,
which included numerous well known, local activists --- that when he arrived at
the scene where an African American and a Latino man were beaten by police ---
he had asked 7 times to speak with the officer in charge, and was bluntly told
by police that "we don't give a f_ _ _ who you are."

This was not an isolated situation. Councilman McFadden had
made a public statement regarding improper behavior by law enforcement officials
prior to the October incident. In fact, after witnessing another incident in
which a police officer used his service vehicle to 'herd' a group of Black
residents onto a sidewalk, the Councilman had stated publicly that some officers
operate in a fashion reminiscent of Apartheid South Africa. This comment
prompted the President of Rochester City Council, Lois Giess and Chairperson of
the Council's Public Safety Committee, Benjamin Douglas to write an OP-ED in the
Democrat and Chronicle, in which they accused Mr. McFadden of
attempting to "inflame racial animosity." In fact, many within the local African
American Community in particular, are convinced that, because Councilman
McFadden dared to rock the political-status-quo-boat, the likes of Giess,
Douglas, and others had set out on a calculated campaign to destroy his
reputation and career as a public official.

The theme of the December community meeting was "why are we
reliving issues of 1964 in 2004?" The event was organized to provide an
opportunity for Mr. McFadden to share his observations with the community
relative to blatant police brutality, and to send a clear message to the likes
of Giess, Douglas and others. The message is that we will not sit idly by and
watch them destroy authentic Black leadership.

One member of the 21^st Century African American
Leadership Council noted that "it's been a long time since we have had someone
on the City Council who is bold enough and righteous enough to speak out
consistently on behalf of the African American Community, and in the interest of
freedom, justice and equality for all people. Adam McFadden is ours, and you
will not destroy him." It was also mentioned that when Malcolm X spoke out
against racism and police brutality in Rochester (40 years ago), he too was
accused of attempting to "inflame racial animosity," but Malcolm reminded his
critics that problems and issues such as racism and police brutality were so old
and pervasive that it wasn't necessary to "inflame" them. He declared that such
issues have a fuse of their own, and are potentially self-igniting.

The 21^st Century African American Leadership Council
has vowed that (with help from the community) it intends to (once and for all)
put an end to blatant racism and abuse of citizens by members of the Rochester
Police Department. One organizer said "we must produce a solution to this
problem --- so that 40 years from now, our children and grandchildren won't have
to ask: why are we reliving issues of 2004 in 2044?"

A follow-up meeting has been planned for December 26 (first day of Kwanzaa,
on which the Principle of unity --- UMOJA is celebrated) at Saint Luke
Tabernacle Community Church, 1261 Dewey Avenue at 6:30
PM

(edited 12/16/2004 at the author's request)