Crime

OP-ED: Being Black in America

Published

11 years ago

July 23, 2013

By DeWayne Dickerson

I was talking to my kid on Sunday about the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial. She’s six. She asked me the most thought-provoking question I’d ever heard. “Daddy, why does the United States hate black people?” I don’t know. My ancestors were tortured into erecting this nation with salt in the wounds of their broken backs. The last time being black was universally cool in America was during the Minstrel show era of white people in blackface.

Rational folks talk about how the prosecution sucked. They couldn’t prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was a psycho killer capable of second-degree murder. Rational folks can kiss my grits. The only truth that came out of this verdict was that, once again, the system declared a young black man’s life worthless. Is there a god, or is God into Rush Limbaugh? I don’t get what’s happening any more. All I know is that the story of February 26, 2012 has somehow managed to penetrate the souls of black folk at our core. We can no longer be the mule and the goat. We can’t break our backs for America… it’s breaking them for us!

Doesn’t matter if it’s family court, a criminal case, or a parking ticket; the Libra scales of America are hella crooked. Self-defense is an inalienable right for NRA, bible-thumping goons, but was a threat to the very fabric of our society when the Black Panthers and Nation of Islam attempted to apply that principle in the corrupt, vicious, and hypocritical court of law.

Trayvon Martin had every right to go off on Zimmerman – who at one point had lost a job as a security officer for having, an aggressive temper. It was beyond overzealous of that dude to stalk, harass, threaten, and shoot the 17-year-old who dreamed of becoming a pilot someday. The boy was aiming too high. Our society can only accept three different types of endangered Negroes: Blackie Buffoon, who can always make ‘em smile; Jiggaboo Jive Turkey, who charms us with the ability to spark catchy slang and house party dance moves; and the-minded Step ‘N’ Fetch, whose fear of Massa’s wrath is greater than his fear of God.

This may sound crazy, but given those standard options, I’m proud Trayvon went out swinging. Was he supposed to call the police instead of striking Zimmerman? Hell no! They would’ve put 40 bullets through that boy faster than you can say “right to remain silent.”

Trials are never about “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It’s all about what you can prove. How convenient! Of course, the outrageously disproportionate amount of my people in prison on drug offenses, and all of our people on death row, got there because in every single case 100% red-handed proof was submitted! Beyond a reasonable doubt, I’m genetically exposed as another one of those evil-doers, right? Which means the answer to my daughter’s question is that the US hates black people because we’re bad guys, fiends and scary monsters, and Trayvon was growing up to be one of those villains too, right?

The killer ended up being the only living person who witnessed the entire incident. Yeah, the prosecution did suck. He presented contradictory details to authorities during his police interrogation. There was very little evidence of any furious assault by the hands of some lunatic black man-child. He referred to Trayvon as “one of these assholes” and a “punk”. He showed no sign of remorse for taking someone’s life. Despite all that jazz, we’re supposed to walk out this theatre thinking that Zimmerman was just a really dedicated block watch captain.

All but one of the jurors was white. When the prosecution’s star witness, who was on the phone with Trayvon as the incident occurred, she recalled hearing him refer to Zimmerman as a “creepy-ass cracker,” those jurors were offended. They let their ill-conceived notions of whatever the hell, reverse racism is cloud their judgment.

These are only a handful of transmissions from the post-racist society. The same place that encourages people to attend GOP presidential rallies with Obama dolls hanging from nooses. The same place that would rather incarcerate than educate its black youth. The state of the union is shaky at best, and Florida deserves a fat chunk of the blame. I still see dimpled chads in my nightmares.

Two months ago, Marissa Alexander, from Jacksonville, received a 20-year prison sentence for firing warning shots into a wall during an altercation with her husband. You don’t even have to see a picture of the woman, or know anything at all about the case, to know her race.. When you look at it that way, clearly, racism is here to stay.

The verdict of Zimmerman’s case was painfully predictable.

Dickerson has earned a Eli Coppola Memorial Book Award and New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. The 35-year-old Louisville native has been a social justice teacher, active social commentator, and community organizer for most of his life.

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Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.

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Alameda County

D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case

The charges against Octavio Ambriz Valle, 52, Devora Ambriz Valle, 49, and Felipe Del Toro Trejo, 54, include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

Alameda County Courthouse File photo.

Special to The Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced today that her office charged three people in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024.

It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.

“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”

If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.

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Activism

Fights Narrowly Break Out at Business Strike Press Conference at Oakland City Hall

Recall supporters called for a one-day business strike for the second year in a row to demand that the city do more to ensure public safety is a priority and that business owners are not plagued by the ongoing retail crime. Less than five minutes into the press conference, opponents of the recall began yelling at the recall supporters. This caused many recall volunteers to become upset with the “hecklers.”

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Supporters of the recalls against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, along with local political candidates and business owners, at a press conference outside Oakland City Hall. Speakers called for a city-wide, one-day business strike to protest against threats to public safety. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

By Magaly Muñoz

What was intended to be a press conference for a planned city-wide business strike turned into two separate altercations between supporters and opponents of the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price in front of Oakland City Hall.

Less than five minutes into the press conference, opponents of the recall began yelling at the recall supporters. This caused many recall volunteers to become upset with the “hecklers.”

One recall volunteer confronted the Thao supporters and attempted to physically intimidate them while also screaming obscenities in their faces. After several moments, the volunteer was pulled away from the Thao supporters and returned to the conference.

Soon after that incident, Ray Bobbitt, founder of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) that now owns the Oakland Coliseum, walked up to the rally and attempted to take the microphone from Seneca Scott, leader of the Thao recall efforts. The situation soon escalated as Scott pushed Bobbitt away.

Scott has made several comments at press conferences and on social media that the Coliseum sale deal is a fraud and that AASEG will not provide the city with the promised multi-million dollar funds. Bobbitt told the Post that he is tired of Scott “being a bully” and only wanted to talk through whatever issues Scott had with AASEG.

When Bobbitt asked Scott to talk privately, Scott responded with a threatening remark. Bobbitt soon left the scene after several people talked him down.

“We really need to abandon the toxicity. I’m here to bring our community together, not divide it,” Bobbitt told the Post.

Back with the recall group and business owners, speakers said that businesses are scared to file police reports because Oakland officers “don’t care anymore” and are scared that their insurance rates will increase.

“We’re here today because the last blood of our city is leaking out with no tourniquet. Cities run on commerce. The only reason for a city is commerce. Failure to protect commerce leads to a dying city,” Scott said.

Several businesses in the last year have closed down, such as In-N-Out Burger and Denny’s on the Hegenberger corridor, citing public safety concerns. Local businesses have also left because of break-ins, homelessness, and overall lack of security.

At the time of last year’s business strike, crime was up 26% from the year before, according to Oakland police data. Rumors of a Thao recall were also building around this event.

Crime today is down 37%, according to the same data. This point has been used heavily in Thao’s attempt to rally support against the recall against her.

Speakers at the Tuesday press conference said some owners were sleeping at their businesses for fear of people breaking in to steal from them or vandalize their locations.

“The only things that are not locked up in the stores are criminals,” one speaker said.

Rally organizers claimed that over 200 businesses were participating in the strike. But when the Post asked recall organizers if they could provide a list of all the participants, the request was denied.

“This is an example of the sort of chaos the recall campaign seeks to create in Oakland. This is the last minute last ditch stunt of a coal investor funded campaign that has realized that Oakland residents are going to say NO to the $10 million price tag, the chaos and the division their campaign represents,” a Thao supporter spokesperson said ahead of the business strike.