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Unity March 2010 Documents
Dublin Core
Title
Unity March 2010 Documents
Subject
Activism, CUCPJ
Description
Unity March remembers past, looks toward future
By Patrick Wade
Created 10/10/2010 - 8:15am
Sun, 10/10/2010 - 8:15am | Patrick Wade [1] Contact Author [2]
Event focuses on death of Kiwane Carrington, work done to heal rifts in community
CHAMPAIGN – On the anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Kiwane Carrington, marchers walked a little more than a mile, but organizers and city officials say there's still a long way to go.
Saturday's seventh annual Unity March focused on remembering then-15-year-old Carrington, who was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2009, in an altercation with police when they thought he was breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St.
Marchers returned to that address Saturday before making their way – signs, megaphones and makeshift drums in hand – to the community garden just outside Stratton Elementary School, where they planted two trees to memorialize Carrington.
"The trees don't produce fruit immediately," organizer Aaron Ammons said after the first was planted. "There won't be cherries here tomorrow."
But give it a few years, he said, and the fruits will bloom. Marchers are hoping the same can be said about their efforts to repair rifts in the community, which became more apparent in the months following Carrington's death.
"We still got a long way to go," Ammons said.
Community activists and city officials mingled during and following the march, and some were impressed by a former TV weatherman's participation. Mike Sola, the meteorologist who at the end of September became one of a growing number of white men who have been attacked by young black men, said it was important to build relationships instead of creating barriers.
City Manager Steve Carter said Friday that, while there is still work to be done, there has been progress in the past year.
"I think a lot has happened in the last year, and I think a lot of people have been involved in making an effort to see some improvement in the way people work together," Carter said. "So I would say there's really been some good progress.
"But just in the area of race relations, we've had our ups and downs. I don't think there's any doubt about that, just like any other urban area in the country."
Following the Carrington shooting last year, Carter and other city officials began working on what they call the "six initiatives," goals they set that they believed would guide their efforts to encourage social change in the community.
"We heard a lot at the beginning that nothing is going to change, and we wanted to prove those naysayers wrong," Carter said.
That involved, among other goals, bringing the community together in an open forum to discuss ideals of what the community should look like.
City officials are now working with community groups to implement some of the ideas conceived at that March forum.
City officials have also tried to make the police complaint process more accessible and have revised the police department's use-of-force policy.
"From the beginning, we didn't think these were going to solve everything out there, but it was really meant as a show of faith that the city was committed to making some changes," Carter said.
But it is going to take everyone in the city to effect real change, said Seon Williams, a Champaign businessman who has been vocal during the past year.
Saturday's march was a good example, he said.
"This is community," Williams said. "This is what community looks like."
More focus needs to be put on helping and educating children, he said, and everyone needs to build better relationships. Even relationships among the black community have broken down, Williams said, let alone connections between black and white community members.
"We made some forward movements," said Jamar Brown, a member of the city's human-relations commission and one of Saturday's marchers. "But obviously we are not where we ultimately need to be."
Brown said events like Saturday's march, which included people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds, are good for community relations.
"There's no arguments out here. There's no fighting out here," Brown said. "These things have to continue on a regular basis because there's so much negativity out there."
It was an emotional day for some of Carrington's family members who participated. Kenesha Williams, Carrington's sister, said the march was a positive event, but the circumstances were unfortunate.
"It had to take this to bring the whole community together," she said.
Timeline: What has happened in the year since the shooting incident
Oct. 9, 2009
15-year-old Kiwane Carrington is shot and killed during a struggle with a Champaign police officer, later identified as Daniel Norbits, after Carrington was believed to have been breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St. At the time, Police Chief R.T. Finney was on the scene and involved in a struggle with another teen.
Oct. 13, 2009
The second teen, 15-year-old Jeshaun Manning-Carter, is charged with aggravated resisting an officer.
Oct. 14, 2009
Mourners hold a candlelight vigil for Carrington at the home where he was killed. "Let's not let Kiwane's death be in vain," says the Rev. Charles Nash.
Oct. 20, 2009
Speakers parade to the microphone in the city council chambers, calling for changes to police policies, the resignation and firing of Finney and Norbits, and social change.
Oct. 22, 2009
Activists organize a march through downtown Champaign to speak out against police harassment and brutality. "I miss Kiwane and wish he was here," says Terriona Richardson, Carrington's girlfriend. "I want justice for him."
Nov. 12, 2009
The Illinois State Police deliver a report to Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz detailing the police agency's investigation of the Oct. 9 shooting. The investigation determined the shooting was an accident.
Nov. 20, 2009
Chicago attorney James Montgomery Jr. files a wrongful death lawsuit against the city on behalf of Carrington's family.
Dec. 8, 2009
After reviewing the state police report, Rietz announces she will not file any criminal charges against Norbits. "It definitely ranks up there as one of the more difficult cases (because of) the gravity of the situation," she says.
The same day, Champaign city officials release their "six initiatives," which they say will guide their response to calls for change during the coming months.
Dec. 9, 2009
Finney asks the U.S. Department of Justice to review the incident and look at whether there were any civil rights infractions.
Jan. 12
City officials name two advisers who will lead a probe to examine whether internal police policies were disregarded during the incident.
The same day, the Champaign City Council approves changes to the department's use-of-force policy, one of the "six initiatives."
Feb. 18
A Champaign County coroner's jury rules the shooting an accident following an inquest.
March 15
The city holds a community forum to gather comments from the public on how to move forward. More than 250 people attend. "While there are things we can do individually," says City Manager Steve Carter, "it's working together that will result in the greatest community impact."
April 13
Rietz dismisses the charges against Manning-Carter after speaking with him directly. The dismissal followed petitions asking Rietz to dismiss the charges, but she says those petitions had no influence on her decision.
April 22
Carter announces that Norbits will be suspended for 30 days following the release of a report that determined he mishandled his gun, which resulted in the accidental shooting.
April 23
Norbits appeals his suspension, which, according to his police union attorney, "is not justified and not fair."
May 21
After meeting with Norbits and his attorney, Carter denies Norbits' appeal. The issue next goes to mediation, which is still pending.
June 22
The Champaign City Council unanimously approves changes to the police complaint process as recommended by a nine-member committee. The changes were listed as one of the "six initiatives."
Sept. 21
The Champaign City Council settles a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Kiwane Carrington for $470,000.
Oct. 9
Activists organize a "Unity March" to remember Carrington beginning at the spot where he was killed one year earlier.
-------------
Champaign council to vote on wrongful-death settlement
Mon, 09/20/2010 - 10:00am | Patrick Wade Contact Author
CHAMPAIGN – Nearly a year after the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Kiwane Carrington, the city council this week could approve a $470,000 wrongful-death lawsuit settlement with his family.
A vote on that agreement is scheduled during the council's regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil St.
City Attorney Fred Stavins said "it's difficult to explain" how the parties involved reached a dollar amount in a case like this, but part of it is that "both parties evaluate their risk of uncertainty."
"Whenever there's a trial, there's an uncertain result," Stavins said.
The settlement would preclude the case from going to trial and is the product of months of negotiations between the city and Mr. Carrington's family. Chicago attorney James Montgomery Jr. filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family in November 2009, more than a month after the fatal shooting.
Montgomery did not return phone messages seeking comment.
The total legal costs for the city amount to just less than $500,000 after $25,000 in attorneys' fees and other costs are considered. The city's liability insurance will cover about half the costs because the insurance policy includes a $250,000 deductible, which will come out of the city budget. The city council still must approve the settlement before it is finalized.
Mr. Carrington was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2009, during a physical struggle with Officer Daniel Norbits. Champaign police believed Mr. Carrington was breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St. An internal investigation following the incident deter- mined Norbits mishandled his gun, resulting in its discharge during the struggle. The event was declared an accident and no criminal charges were filed.
According to the suit as it was filed in November, Mr. Carrington "was not armed with any gun or any other deadly weapon, nor did he pose a threat to defendant city of Champaign or its agents."
--------------
University demographic should be of concern
Imbalanced enrollment
The Daily Illini Editorial Board Contact me
Posted: September 15th, 2010 - 10:16 PM
Updated: September 16th, 2010 - 11:08 AM
Tagged with: admission, demographics, Editorials, enrollment, students, The University
Printer Friendly
ShareThisShare on FacebookRecommend thisPost a commentDecrease Text SizeIncrease Text Size
The University has released the demographic and academic information for the class of 2014. And while their classroom achievements are testaments to the selectivity of our University, we are worried about a startling decline in African-American student enrollment.
Though the University accepted 11 percent more Latino/a students this year, more closely mirroring the state’s ethnic makeup, the African-American population in the freshman class is at disturbingly low levels — their enrollment numbers dropped by nearly 18 percent from last year and make up only 5 percent of the freshman class.
In the University’s press release, the sentence following the paragraph detailing the decrease in black student enrollment reads, “The campus is analyzing data to determine areas in which it can ensure that minority students find Illinois an attractive option.â€
Here’s to hoping that the University honors that statement.
As a Land Grant Institution, the University should have accessibility to the residents of Illinois as a core mission. The percentage of African-Americans in the state of Illinois is around 15 percent, according to U.S. Census information. With the freshman class’s percentage hovering around 5 percent, it is obvious our school does not reflect the level of diversity in our home state.
There are many possible reasons as to why this is.
With this year’s freshman class having to pay 9 percent more tuition than the class of 2013, it is possible that the University is pricing themselves out of the market for a substantial percentage of the state of Illinois. It’s hard to blame the University for having to raise tuition. With the state still owing us millions, the administration had to raise money somehow, and they are doing it in ways other than just raising tuition (think: hiring freezes, faculty buy-outs, etc.).
Or maybe the reason for this drop is due to other factors entirely. But whatever the reason is, the University should be working hard to correct this imbalance. This school should be an appealing option for all students.
Members of the University community have fought hard for greater diversity throughout its history. It would be a terrible tragedy for all their work to come undone.
-------------
The Last Thing Needed
An Editorial by Local Yocal
CHAMPAIGN- Shortly after police killed unarmed 15 year-old Kiwane Carrington, many of Kiwane's peers stepped forward and publicly testified about their experiences with the Champaign Police Department. The youth claimed they were often followed by police for no reason, stopped, searched, asked to provide I.D., and "shaken down' for information as to their living situations and who they hang with. If they were seen as the least uncooperative, they were often ticketed with city fines of $70-$100 for jaywalking, loitering, curfew violations, or failure to walk on a sidewalk where none exists, as is the case on Hedge Road in Champaign.
One of the revolutionary features of the 2004 documentary Citizens Watch filmed by Martel Miller and Patrick Thompson, were the interviews with those stopped by police and they described their perception of the police. The bottom line from all participants was a sense that police were targeting them on account of their race and were disrespectful. At one point in the film, a ten year old in the foreground of a police patrol shouts, "They's arresting us because we's black." The story still not believed, yet briefly filmed in the 34-minute documentary, was the aggressive way blacks are patrolled by police, compared to the jarring difference in the way students and faculty are patrolled on campus. The difference is a testament to the umbrella of White Privilege granted by the need for U of I student customers.
The culmination of the police department's racial hostility apexed in the 2009 Carrington Killing as the Chief of Police himself was unable to interview two children trying to get into a locked backdoor. Instead, the Chief threatened to kill them by aiming his pistol, and shouting, "Stop or I'll shoot you!", a phrase later deemed adequate for a burglary investigation involving children. When it comes to race relations, the police and the black community have a long way to go. Despite the year after year embarrassment of the IDOT Racial Profiling statistics, the Champaign Police Department pretend everything's cool behind the face of their publicity director. Police encourage the community's help, but want only a certain kind of citizen involvement in their affairs. Only the snitch with good information need apply.
Added to the hostile police attitude is the sorry state of education for local African Americans. For nearly a decade, the Unit 4 school district was under a federal court's watchful eye for the perpetual underachievement African American students turn in year after year. Blacks continue to be overly represented in categories of medication, diagnosis of a disability, discipline, suspension, expulsion, arrests, and drop-outs. Scholarship, construction, or small businesses seem to be conspicuously absent from the resumes of young blacks graduating from our high schools. Gifted students leave town as fast as possible, and so very few local minority students make it over to the Big U, as the university becomes increasingly financially impossible. Mix in, some say, a 40% unemployment rate for black males, and the underground market for recreational drugs becomes the easiest game in town. In all the recent economic developments made over the decade, few, if any, exist in the North End.
The economic climate for the black male is further contaminated by law enforcement's habit to exaggerate the unpredictable fierceness of black youth. Gangs, like the "North End Gorillas", become mythical crime syndicates in the imagination of the State's Attorney's February 2009 press releases. In reality, such gangs are mere idle talk from students mimicking the stuff found on MTV. Without a shred of documentation, police yearly sell the lullaby that Gangs from Chicago! are swarming to our area to sell our children bad drugs. And thus, patrols and tactics are designed accordingly to protect the holy campus from the local savages.
The Carrington Killing inspired a real community-wide dialogue regarding how we want to be policed; when suddenly; beginning in August of 2010, "polar bear hunting" appeared in a pattern of late-night, senseless attacks (over 20 in all) on white males by groups of black youth. The least tolerable crime for polite middle class society had reared its ugly head, courtesy of the front pages of The News-Gazette. The police practices that led to the Carrington killing were forgotten from public memory as the man who first pulled a gun on Kiwane assured us, "In our interviews of the people we've arrested, we're not getting any gang information."
The Chief did not specify if police were randomly detaining people for questioning about the attacks, or how many of these type of arrests have been conducted. Police have gloated to the media that they are now perched on parking decks overlooking the campus area, "hunting" the perps of these dastardly assaults. The gun toting, throw-the-book-at-them crowd from the surrounding towns are ignited to suggest a vigilante backlash, and whatever civil rights and youth programming that could have been gained, are now off the table during the hunt for these "knuckleheads". Local radio commentator Jim Turpin of WDWS expressed the current public imagination with a story of walking in a parking lot when a group of black males appeared, and because of the recent attacks, he told his nodding audience, "I was scared." Imagine trying to find a job in this climate.
Because of these attacks, (just as horrible as the rapes of campus women year after year), all the poor habits and abuses employed by the CPD have gained further justification. The attacks will do little to help the fragile relationship citizens of good-will are trying to establish as sincere people have gathered to fashion a sustainable future together. There are problems the police have created. There are problems created by poverty. Whether those fundamental issues become lost on the community or not, is uncertain since the focus has shifted to finding and prosecuting the bullies.
By Patrick Wade
Created 10/10/2010 - 8:15am
Sun, 10/10/2010 - 8:15am | Patrick Wade [1] Contact Author [2]
Event focuses on death of Kiwane Carrington, work done to heal rifts in community
CHAMPAIGN – On the anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Kiwane Carrington, marchers walked a little more than a mile, but organizers and city officials say there's still a long way to go.
Saturday's seventh annual Unity March focused on remembering then-15-year-old Carrington, who was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2009, in an altercation with police when they thought he was breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St.
Marchers returned to that address Saturday before making their way – signs, megaphones and makeshift drums in hand – to the community garden just outside Stratton Elementary School, where they planted two trees to memorialize Carrington.
"The trees don't produce fruit immediately," organizer Aaron Ammons said after the first was planted. "There won't be cherries here tomorrow."
But give it a few years, he said, and the fruits will bloom. Marchers are hoping the same can be said about their efforts to repair rifts in the community, which became more apparent in the months following Carrington's death.
"We still got a long way to go," Ammons said.
Community activists and city officials mingled during and following the march, and some were impressed by a former TV weatherman's participation. Mike Sola, the meteorologist who at the end of September became one of a growing number of white men who have been attacked by young black men, said it was important to build relationships instead of creating barriers.
City Manager Steve Carter said Friday that, while there is still work to be done, there has been progress in the past year.
"I think a lot has happened in the last year, and I think a lot of people have been involved in making an effort to see some improvement in the way people work together," Carter said. "So I would say there's really been some good progress.
"But just in the area of race relations, we've had our ups and downs. I don't think there's any doubt about that, just like any other urban area in the country."
Following the Carrington shooting last year, Carter and other city officials began working on what they call the "six initiatives," goals they set that they believed would guide their efforts to encourage social change in the community.
"We heard a lot at the beginning that nothing is going to change, and we wanted to prove those naysayers wrong," Carter said.
That involved, among other goals, bringing the community together in an open forum to discuss ideals of what the community should look like.
City officials are now working with community groups to implement some of the ideas conceived at that March forum.
City officials have also tried to make the police complaint process more accessible and have revised the police department's use-of-force policy.
"From the beginning, we didn't think these were going to solve everything out there, but it was really meant as a show of faith that the city was committed to making some changes," Carter said.
But it is going to take everyone in the city to effect real change, said Seon Williams, a Champaign businessman who has been vocal during the past year.
Saturday's march was a good example, he said.
"This is community," Williams said. "This is what community looks like."
More focus needs to be put on helping and educating children, he said, and everyone needs to build better relationships. Even relationships among the black community have broken down, Williams said, let alone connections between black and white community members.
"We made some forward movements," said Jamar Brown, a member of the city's human-relations commission and one of Saturday's marchers. "But obviously we are not where we ultimately need to be."
Brown said events like Saturday's march, which included people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds, are good for community relations.
"There's no arguments out here. There's no fighting out here," Brown said. "These things have to continue on a regular basis because there's so much negativity out there."
It was an emotional day for some of Carrington's family members who participated. Kenesha Williams, Carrington's sister, said the march was a positive event, but the circumstances were unfortunate.
"It had to take this to bring the whole community together," she said.
Timeline: What has happened in the year since the shooting incident
Oct. 9, 2009
15-year-old Kiwane Carrington is shot and killed during a struggle with a Champaign police officer, later identified as Daniel Norbits, after Carrington was believed to have been breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St. At the time, Police Chief R.T. Finney was on the scene and involved in a struggle with another teen.
Oct. 13, 2009
The second teen, 15-year-old Jeshaun Manning-Carter, is charged with aggravated resisting an officer.
Oct. 14, 2009
Mourners hold a candlelight vigil for Carrington at the home where he was killed. "Let's not let Kiwane's death be in vain," says the Rev. Charles Nash.
Oct. 20, 2009
Speakers parade to the microphone in the city council chambers, calling for changes to police policies, the resignation and firing of Finney and Norbits, and social change.
Oct. 22, 2009
Activists organize a march through downtown Champaign to speak out against police harassment and brutality. "I miss Kiwane and wish he was here," says Terriona Richardson, Carrington's girlfriend. "I want justice for him."
Nov. 12, 2009
The Illinois State Police deliver a report to Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz detailing the police agency's investigation of the Oct. 9 shooting. The investigation determined the shooting was an accident.
Nov. 20, 2009
Chicago attorney James Montgomery Jr. files a wrongful death lawsuit against the city on behalf of Carrington's family.
Dec. 8, 2009
After reviewing the state police report, Rietz announces she will not file any criminal charges against Norbits. "It definitely ranks up there as one of the more difficult cases (because of) the gravity of the situation," she says.
The same day, Champaign city officials release their "six initiatives," which they say will guide their response to calls for change during the coming months.
Dec. 9, 2009
Finney asks the U.S. Department of Justice to review the incident and look at whether there were any civil rights infractions.
Jan. 12
City officials name two advisers who will lead a probe to examine whether internal police policies were disregarded during the incident.
The same day, the Champaign City Council approves changes to the department's use-of-force policy, one of the "six initiatives."
Feb. 18
A Champaign County coroner's jury rules the shooting an accident following an inquest.
March 15
The city holds a community forum to gather comments from the public on how to move forward. More than 250 people attend. "While there are things we can do individually," says City Manager Steve Carter, "it's working together that will result in the greatest community impact."
April 13
Rietz dismisses the charges against Manning-Carter after speaking with him directly. The dismissal followed petitions asking Rietz to dismiss the charges, but she says those petitions had no influence on her decision.
April 22
Carter announces that Norbits will be suspended for 30 days following the release of a report that determined he mishandled his gun, which resulted in the accidental shooting.
April 23
Norbits appeals his suspension, which, according to his police union attorney, "is not justified and not fair."
May 21
After meeting with Norbits and his attorney, Carter denies Norbits' appeal. The issue next goes to mediation, which is still pending.
June 22
The Champaign City Council unanimously approves changes to the police complaint process as recommended by a nine-member committee. The changes were listed as one of the "six initiatives."
Sept. 21
The Champaign City Council settles a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Kiwane Carrington for $470,000.
Oct. 9
Activists organize a "Unity March" to remember Carrington beginning at the spot where he was killed one year earlier.
-------------
Champaign council to vote on wrongful-death settlement
Mon, 09/20/2010 - 10:00am | Patrick Wade Contact Author
CHAMPAIGN – Nearly a year after the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Kiwane Carrington, the city council this week could approve a $470,000 wrongful-death lawsuit settlement with his family.
A vote on that agreement is scheduled during the council's regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil St.
City Attorney Fred Stavins said "it's difficult to explain" how the parties involved reached a dollar amount in a case like this, but part of it is that "both parties evaluate their risk of uncertainty."
"Whenever there's a trial, there's an uncertain result," Stavins said.
The settlement would preclude the case from going to trial and is the product of months of negotiations between the city and Mr. Carrington's family. Chicago attorney James Montgomery Jr. filed the lawsuit on behalf of the family in November 2009, more than a month after the fatal shooting.
Montgomery did not return phone messages seeking comment.
The total legal costs for the city amount to just less than $500,000 after $25,000 in attorneys' fees and other costs are considered. The city's liability insurance will cover about half the costs because the insurance policy includes a $250,000 deductible, which will come out of the city budget. The city council still must approve the settlement before it is finalized.
Mr. Carrington was shot and killed on Oct. 9, 2009, during a physical struggle with Officer Daniel Norbits. Champaign police believed Mr. Carrington was breaking into a home at 906 W. Vine St. An internal investigation following the incident deter- mined Norbits mishandled his gun, resulting in its discharge during the struggle. The event was declared an accident and no criminal charges were filed.
According to the suit as it was filed in November, Mr. Carrington "was not armed with any gun or any other deadly weapon, nor did he pose a threat to defendant city of Champaign or its agents."
--------------
University demographic should be of concern
Imbalanced enrollment
The Daily Illini Editorial Board Contact me
Posted: September 15th, 2010 - 10:16 PM
Updated: September 16th, 2010 - 11:08 AM
Tagged with: admission, demographics, Editorials, enrollment, students, The University
Printer Friendly
ShareThisShare on FacebookRecommend thisPost a commentDecrease Text SizeIncrease Text Size
The University has released the demographic and academic information for the class of 2014. And while their classroom achievements are testaments to the selectivity of our University, we are worried about a startling decline in African-American student enrollment.
Though the University accepted 11 percent more Latino/a students this year, more closely mirroring the state’s ethnic makeup, the African-American population in the freshman class is at disturbingly low levels — their enrollment numbers dropped by nearly 18 percent from last year and make up only 5 percent of the freshman class.
In the University’s press release, the sentence following the paragraph detailing the decrease in black student enrollment reads, “The campus is analyzing data to determine areas in which it can ensure that minority students find Illinois an attractive option.â€
Here’s to hoping that the University honors that statement.
As a Land Grant Institution, the University should have accessibility to the residents of Illinois as a core mission. The percentage of African-Americans in the state of Illinois is around 15 percent, according to U.S. Census information. With the freshman class’s percentage hovering around 5 percent, it is obvious our school does not reflect the level of diversity in our home state.
There are many possible reasons as to why this is.
With this year’s freshman class having to pay 9 percent more tuition than the class of 2013, it is possible that the University is pricing themselves out of the market for a substantial percentage of the state of Illinois. It’s hard to blame the University for having to raise tuition. With the state still owing us millions, the administration had to raise money somehow, and they are doing it in ways other than just raising tuition (think: hiring freezes, faculty buy-outs, etc.).
Or maybe the reason for this drop is due to other factors entirely. But whatever the reason is, the University should be working hard to correct this imbalance. This school should be an appealing option for all students.
Members of the University community have fought hard for greater diversity throughout its history. It would be a terrible tragedy for all their work to come undone.
-------------
The Last Thing Needed
An Editorial by Local Yocal
CHAMPAIGN- Shortly after police killed unarmed 15 year-old Kiwane Carrington, many of Kiwane's peers stepped forward and publicly testified about their experiences with the Champaign Police Department. The youth claimed they were often followed by police for no reason, stopped, searched, asked to provide I.D., and "shaken down' for information as to their living situations and who they hang with. If they were seen as the least uncooperative, they were often ticketed with city fines of $70-$100 for jaywalking, loitering, curfew violations, or failure to walk on a sidewalk where none exists, as is the case on Hedge Road in Champaign.
One of the revolutionary features of the 2004 documentary Citizens Watch filmed by Martel Miller and Patrick Thompson, were the interviews with those stopped by police and they described their perception of the police. The bottom line from all participants was a sense that police were targeting them on account of their race and were disrespectful. At one point in the film, a ten year old in the foreground of a police patrol shouts, "They's arresting us because we's black." The story still not believed, yet briefly filmed in the 34-minute documentary, was the aggressive way blacks are patrolled by police, compared to the jarring difference in the way students and faculty are patrolled on campus. The difference is a testament to the umbrella of White Privilege granted by the need for U of I student customers.
The culmination of the police department's racial hostility apexed in the 2009 Carrington Killing as the Chief of Police himself was unable to interview two children trying to get into a locked backdoor. Instead, the Chief threatened to kill them by aiming his pistol, and shouting, "Stop or I'll shoot you!", a phrase later deemed adequate for a burglary investigation involving children. When it comes to race relations, the police and the black community have a long way to go. Despite the year after year embarrassment of the IDOT Racial Profiling statistics, the Champaign Police Department pretend everything's cool behind the face of their publicity director. Police encourage the community's help, but want only a certain kind of citizen involvement in their affairs. Only the snitch with good information need apply.
Added to the hostile police attitude is the sorry state of education for local African Americans. For nearly a decade, the Unit 4 school district was under a federal court's watchful eye for the perpetual underachievement African American students turn in year after year. Blacks continue to be overly represented in categories of medication, diagnosis of a disability, discipline, suspension, expulsion, arrests, and drop-outs. Scholarship, construction, or small businesses seem to be conspicuously absent from the resumes of young blacks graduating from our high schools. Gifted students leave town as fast as possible, and so very few local minority students make it over to the Big U, as the university becomes increasingly financially impossible. Mix in, some say, a 40% unemployment rate for black males, and the underground market for recreational drugs becomes the easiest game in town. In all the recent economic developments made over the decade, few, if any, exist in the North End.
The economic climate for the black male is further contaminated by law enforcement's habit to exaggerate the unpredictable fierceness of black youth. Gangs, like the "North End Gorillas", become mythical crime syndicates in the imagination of the State's Attorney's February 2009 press releases. In reality, such gangs are mere idle talk from students mimicking the stuff found on MTV. Without a shred of documentation, police yearly sell the lullaby that Gangs from Chicago! are swarming to our area to sell our children bad drugs. And thus, patrols and tactics are designed accordingly to protect the holy campus from the local savages.
The Carrington Killing inspired a real community-wide dialogue regarding how we want to be policed; when suddenly; beginning in August of 2010, "polar bear hunting" appeared in a pattern of late-night, senseless attacks (over 20 in all) on white males by groups of black youth. The least tolerable crime for polite middle class society had reared its ugly head, courtesy of the front pages of The News-Gazette. The police practices that led to the Carrington killing were forgotten from public memory as the man who first pulled a gun on Kiwane assured us, "In our interviews of the people we've arrested, we're not getting any gang information."
The Chief did not specify if police were randomly detaining people for questioning about the attacks, or how many of these type of arrests have been conducted. Police have gloated to the media that they are now perched on parking decks overlooking the campus area, "hunting" the perps of these dastardly assaults. The gun toting, throw-the-book-at-them crowd from the surrounding towns are ignited to suggest a vigilante backlash, and whatever civil rights and youth programming that could have been gained, are now off the table during the hunt for these "knuckleheads". Local radio commentator Jim Turpin of WDWS expressed the current public imagination with a story of walking in a parking lot when a group of black males appeared, and because of the recent attacks, he told his nodding audience, "I was scared." Imagine trying to find a job in this climate.
Because of these attacks, (just as horrible as the rapes of campus women year after year), all the poor habits and abuses employed by the CPD have gained further justification. The attacks will do little to help the fragile relationship citizens of good-will are trying to establish as sincere people have gathered to fashion a sustainable future together. There are problems the police have created. There are problems created by poverty. Whether those fundamental issues become lost on the community or not, is uncertain since the focus has shifted to finding and prosecuting the bullies.
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"Unity March 2010 Documents," in eBlack Champaign-Urbana, Item #700, https://eblackcu.net/portal/items/show/700 (accessed December 25, 2024).
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