Last week, for the second time within the past two months, a white police officer was convicted for murdering an innocent young Black male. Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted of 2nd degree murder for killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. 40-year-old Van Dyke was also convicted of 16 counts of aggravated battery, one count for each bullet that he fired into Laquan as the teen walked away from the officer holding a small knife. This means Van Dyke could spend up to 20 years in prison for the murder conviction and an additional 6 to 30 years for each count of aggravated battery when he is sentenced on October 31. This comes on the heels of a conviction less than two months ago of Balch Springs, TX police officer Roy Oliver for the murder of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, who was a passenger in a car leaving a teenage party when Oliver fired his rifle into the car. Oliver was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Last year, our hearts broke as we heard the story of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards being shot and killed by Balch Springs, TX Officer Roy Oliver.  By all accounts, Jordan was what we call the “perfect victim. He was leaving a teenage party as a passenger in a car with friends. He was unarmed, baby-faced, drug-free, a high school freshman who was a straight A student, and did not have a confrontation with police. In fact, he did what we would all tell our sons to do when shots ring out within earshot -- avoid trouble and leave the scene. As Jordan and friends backed out of the driveway after hearing shots fired from a nearby parking lot, Officer Roy Oliver deemed them an immediate threat and fired his rifle into the car window, killing young Jordan Edwards, who was a front seat passenger.

Over 600 individuals from throughout Montgomery County, Maryland, along with six local organizations, have signed and delivered a community letter outlining their concerns about policing in the county. The letter raises concerns in the wake of the shooting death of  Robert White, a black man who was killed about one mile from his childhood home in Silver Spring on June 11. He was killed while on foot near his neighborhood, which he walked routinely, according to neighbors.

An all-too familiar scene occurred on the evening of Tuesday, July 10, 2018 in the Minnehaha Regional Park in Minnesota, MN. Instead of having a carefree summer, the lives of 4 young Black boys ages 13-16 were forever changed based on a 911 call describing a “dangerous and escalating” confrontation involving sticks and a gun between these boys, an older White teen and his girlfriend. Upon arrival on the scene, the Minneapolis Park Police drew their guns on the boys, pointed their guns at them, and subsequently handcuffed the 4 young Black boys based on this false information. No weapons of any kind were found on any of the boys. Additionally, it was later revealed that the information provided in the 911 call was contradicted accounts by other witnesses, including a White woman who videotaped the incident and shared her account on Facebook.

Another son has set too early...Antwon Rose

On Tuesday evening, June 19th, East Pittsburgh police encountered and stopped a car in which 17- year-old Antwon Rose was a passenger. Witness accounts and video taken by community members show that seconds after Antwon - who was unarmed - exited the car and began running away from the police, he was shot three times and killed. Antwon did not appear to cause any immediate threat to the police.  No weapons were found upon his person or near his body.  It is not illegal to run away in fear.  Yet, he did and it cost him his life.

Open Letter to Starbucks in the Aftermath of the Viral Video of the Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson’s Arrest

M.O.B.B. United for Social Change, Inc. (MUSC) is gravely concerned about the treatment and safety of Black men and boys who patronize Starbucks stores

On April 12, 2018, in the 5th largest city in the United States, two young Black entrepreneurs entered a Starbucks in a popular Philadelphia neighborhood to meet a business associate. On the surface, there is nothing unusual about this scenario. For most of us, this is typical professional behavior. In fact, many people around the country have engaged in similar behavior --- plan to meet a friend or business associate at a nearby Starbucks. General etiquette dictates waiting for all meeting attendees to arrive before ordering and possibly using the bathroom, including washing your hands, prior to ordering and/or eating. On this day, for Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, these typical actions resulted in an arrest by the Philadelphia Police Department and a confused public wondering whether one of our Black boys and men would be the next victim of “Waiting while Black”. For the more than 180,000 moms represented in our coalition of moms, this recent incident adds to our concern for the welfare of our sons --- Black boys and men --- and their ability to do normal activities in public.

When we send our sons to school, particularly our sons with special needs, we expect that they will be safe; that teachers and administrators have their best interests in mind and will protect them.  Yet, on April 17th, one such administrator - Shanna Swearingen, Principal at Ponderosa Elementary School (Houston-area Spring ISD) - did the exact opposite. Showing callous disregard and negligence, she put a special needs student in danger by telling staffers to not chase a special needs student who had a history of running away from class.  Instead, she said, call the police and tell them he had a gun. The student did not have a gun; and, the child's guardian learned about the incident two weeks later, on April 30th.

Today, almost 20 months after the homicide of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced that the state will not bring charges against the two police officers responsible for Sterling’s death. Justice has been denied yet again, as law enforcement officials are consistently not held accountable for the violence and brutality raged against Black men and boys. Alton Sterling’s murderers now walk free.  We are saddened and disappointed, but steeled in our resolve to advocate fervently for changes to ensure Black men and boys are treated fairly.

On Sunday night, Stephon Clark was doing the same thing that many of us do regularly — he simply walked around the outside of his home with his cell phone in his hand.  That night, Stephon was killed in the backyard of the home he shared with his grandparents and some of his siblings while police officers were responding to a report of a person breaking windows nearby. The police came armed and ready to shoot a prowler with a tool bar smashing windows. However, Stephon did not have a tool bar and was not smashing windows. He was unarmed at home, and the only thing in his hands was his cell phone.

On Saturday, November 4, 2017, Augustus Crawford was celebrating his son’s First Birthday. While Augustus was riding as a passenger in a car, two Bakersfield officers conducted a traffic stop.  During the stop Augustus began to run and the officers engaged in  foot pursuit.  During pursuit Crawford was fatally shot by Officer Warren Martin (the Son of Bakersfield Police Chief, Lyle Martin). 

On November 8, 2017, Lyndo Jones was in his car trying to fix a malfunctioning car alarm. A neighbor called the police to report a possible auto theft. When Mesquite, TX officers arrived, a scuffle ensued and Mr. Jones was shot twice by police officers. While in the hospital trying to recover from his serious injuries, Mesquite police denied access to Mr. Jones by his family and his attorney.

“When they approach me, they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination, indeed anything and everything except me.”

”Invisible Man”
 Ralph Ellison~

Perception. It’s what differentiates ugly from beautiful, good from bad. For many, it relates specifically to how they view things, but for Black and brown boys and men and their moms who love them, it’s almost always connected to how our sons are viewed by society and those in authority. 

This week the family of Walter Scott saw what hundreds of families of young black men and boys across America almost never see.  They saw justice for the murder of their son, Walter Scott.  

Betty Shelby killed Terrence Crutcher. But she was acquitted. Then, she was reinstated as an officer in the Tulsa Police Department and now, her record has been expunged by the court. Agencies completing background checks on Shelby won’t find this incident of police brutality. As a result, Shelby will be able to continue to serve as a law enforcement officer. How can we continue to accept the return to duty of officers who are unfit for the job, such as Shelby? Where is the justice for Terrence Crutcher and for his family that Shelby can return to work, return to her life, but Mr. Crutcher cannot? Removing this case from Shelby’s record demonstrates how little Mr. Crutcher’s life mattered to the justice system and how easy it is for police officers to get away with violence.

On November 14, 2017, we learned about Lyndo Jones who became yet another victim to racial bias in policing on November 8th and almost lost his life as a result. Jones, an unarmed citizen, accidentally set off his vehicle alarm only to wind up being assaulted, shot, and unlawfully detained by 10-year veteran of the Mesquite Police Department, Derick L. Wiley. Wiley is currently on administrative leave.

On July 20, 2017, Keegan Roberts was shot to death by his neighbor Michael Centanni IV in Jacksonville, FL. Centanni claimed self defense and no charges were brought against him even though Centanni, who was armed, approached Roberts who was sitting in his own vehicle in his driveway at night. Centanni then proceeded to argue with Roberts leading to Centanni shooting Roberts 3 times. Centanni claims that Roberts was the aggressor and that he was just defending himself.  Roberts’ family believes Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law protected Centanni in spite of his clearly aggressive behavior and targeting of Roberts on his own property.

MOBB United for Social Change, Inc has been alerted to yet another occurrence of potential excessive use of force by law enforcement officers.  The graphic video depicting two Rawlinson Middle School students fighting and show a Northside police officer intervening however with apparent sole focus on the young black student. We are shocked and concerned to see how this student was handled in a rough manner by the intervening officer. Although it is reported that the officer is on administrative leave, MUSC through moms in and around the San Antonio area will be closely monitoring this case, watching how the district investigation is handled and shared with the community. 

Dear Mr. President,

On Friday, you said something that was unprecedentedly reckless for a person holding the highest office of the land. In a speech to a room full of law enforcement officers in Suffolk County, NY, you encouraged officers to rough up people they arrest and to not worry so much about being careful to protect them.

Beyond the Department of Justice Announcement

We stand united and in full support of the family of Alton Sterling Family in their quest for justice. We are deeply disappointed, but not daunted, by the Department of Justice announcement that the officers responsible for Alton Sterling’s death would not face federal civil rights charges.