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THURGOOD MARSHALL
LAW ASSOCIATION
Statement on Injustice, Racism and Police Brutality
The Thurgood Marshall Law Association, comprised of African American and
diverse attorneys in Toledo, are outraged by the countless
deaths of our black brothers and sisters at the hands of
police.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Law and order exist for the
purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this
purpose, they become the dangerously structured dams that
block the flow of social progress."
When citizens are killed in broad daylight, in their homes, or anywhere
else by police officers sworn to serve them, it is evident
that America has failed us. As citizens, we seek equal
justice, and we cannot and will not sit idly by as our
brothers and sisters lie lifeless in the street.
As Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently explained in an Op-Ed in the Los
Angeles Times, “Racism in America is like dust in the
air. It seems invisible — even if you’re choking on it —
until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As
long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of
cleaning it wherever it lands. But we have to stay vigilant,
because it’s always still in the air.”
In
an effort to remove the spotlight from the injustices that
black people face in America, there has been much debate
about three words–Black Lives Matter. But we cannot move
forward to address these injustices without shining light on
and acknowledging this simple truth – black lives do matter.
Black lives matter because black lives bring value to every
space we enter. Black lives matter because black lives have
meaning, and black lives matter because black lives foster
change. Black lives matter because black lives are human
lives.
Black lives have also suffered at the hands of those who vehemently
resist progress and change. We stand proudly on the
shoulders of men and women who came before us, like Charles
Hamilton Houston, who reinforced the value of understanding
the Constitution of the United States and how to explore its
uses in solving problems in communities and improving the
conditions of Americans. This is why we fight.
Today, Black America still lives in frustration and fear
with the real prospect of random and tragic mistreatment
borne out of being viewed and treated less than equal to
others. A series of inextricably intertwined events
underscore the need for Black lawyers to mobilize and serve
as a catalyst for real change ridding America of structural
racism. Thus,
we will continue to fight to end systemic racism and
discrimination in our society and within the legal
profession. By mentoring the next generation of
minority attorneys and leaders in our community,
working with community organizations to ensure that equal
justice under the law is not just a slogan or a catch
phrase-but an unwavering belief and principle, and
connecting those who are in need of legal services to
competent attorneys who can best represent their needs; we
will continue fighting for the justice we seek.
In this moment in time, we recognize that our community and the
world are justifiably angry, frustrated and tired. We can
relate. TMLA stands in unity and solidarity with those
individuals and organizations dedicated to doing the
grueling work to eradicate police brutality and misconduct,
structural and institutional racism, personal racism,
inequity and all injustices against African Americans, in
this nation, and specifically in our community. We recognize
our role in this fight, and we are ready to meet that
challenge. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate and
partner with anyone in this work.
To that end, the TMLA submits the following action items to address the
inequities and racial injustice faced daily by African
Americans and other minorities in our communities:
·
Establish a
national, statewide and local Police Misconduct Registry.
If a law enforcement officer has been found to have violated
the law or departmental policies, those incidents should be
kept, cataloged, and made available to the public.
·
Establish an
effective Civilian Police Review Board with the authority to
act when necessary, to recommend reprimands or other
punishment for wrongdoing officers.
·
Require a racial
competency evaluation, in addition to the required
psychological and mental health evaluations, prior to
being hired by a law enforcement agency.
·
ALL officers must
be required to wear a body camera and to keep it on when
they are interacting with the public.
·
Hire African
American and other people from the community in a pipeline
law enforcement/community liaison program, train and mentor
them and promote them in the law enforcement ranks.
·
Conduct a survey of African Americans in the legal field in
Toledo and institute hiring processes to make each
institution/office more diverse.
“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid
fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take
root amid rage. America must get to work. In the chill
climate in which we live, we must go against the prevailing
wind. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent
from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred
and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has
buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs
of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just
blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left
its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent
from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral
leadership. We must dissent because America can do better,
because America has no choice but to do better.”
― Thurgood
Marshall
Submitted on behalf of the TMLA Board and Members,
Monica Y. Hoskins, President
Thurgood Marshall Law Association
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