“Stop and Frisk” has to stop!
Dear Editor:
Last year in New York City, police stopped and interrogated black men and boys between the ages 14 and 24 a total of 168,126 times.
The total population of black men and boys aged 14 through 24 in New York City is 158,406. That means the amount of times police stopped black men and boys in this age group exceeds the total number living in the city.
In fact, last year, more than 85 percent of the 685,000 people stopped by the NYPD were African American or Latino, most of them children and young adults. This is up from less than 100,000 stops a decade ago. Then, like now, 90 percent of those stopped are completely innocent.
All this adds up to nothing less than the most aggressive street-level racial profiling program in the country.
On June 17th, we’re demanding an end to this alarming and abusive practice. The NAACP is holding a silent march in New York City to call for an end to New York’s notorious “stop and frisk” program. Our marchers won’t be speaking, so I need you to write the messages that will serve as their voices during the march.
Help the NAACP end the abuse of stop and frisk. Create a message for the banners, signs, and posters carried by thousands through the streets of New York on June l7th:
http://action.naacp.org/silent-march-message
In contrast to previous demonstrations, we will march in silence as an illustration of both the tragedy and serious threat that stop and frisk and other forms of racial profiling present to our society. The silent march was first used in 1917 by the NAACP - then just eight years old - to draw attention to race riots that tore through communities in East St. Louis, Illinois, and build national opposition to lynching.
Now, 95 years later, we will use this powerful protest to shine a light on the great injustice of stop and frisk and begin rebuilding national opposition to racial profiling. The march will be the first step in a nationwide federal and state-level campaign to address the problem of racial profiling.
Because we will remain silent as we march, your words will be especially important.
If you’re outraged that police, security guards and even community watch volunteers in so many neighborhoods continue to treat young people of color differently, or if you’re concerned for your children, or your neighbors’ and friends’ children, then channel these emotions into a message of 15 words or less and share it with us today. We will pick five messages to print for the march.
Be the voice of the silent marchers on June 17th. Submit your message for our protest signs today:
http://action.naacp.org/silent-march-message
Thank you,
Benjamin Todd Jealous
President & CEO
NAACP
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