10,000 Black Men in Philly
Philadelphia Police Chief Sylvester Johnson made an unusual, but to me very welcome request yesterday.
He called on 10,000 of Philly's black men to form a sort of citizens brigade and patrol the streets of their neighborhoods. I applaud his call. While I wonder how many respondents he'll receive, I applaud his call nonetheless. Philly - like my home town Baltimore, is in the grips of a crime epidemic with 294 murders as of Tuesday, with 85% being hand gun crimes, and the overwhelming majority of those being black man on black man violence.
Johnson plans to introduce the "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" program on Oct. 21, three months before his planned retirement.
While they won't be armed, the men will be trained in conflict resolution strategies and self-defense tactics. They won't be police (obviously) but maybe they'll be more important -- a front-line defense for the communities they'll serve and more importantly, an example of leadership.
According to an AP article on the new plan, one gun-violence researcher said the idea of putting citizens on patrol had the potential to show children that adults care.
"A steady exposure to violence just creates this toxic environment for children and youth. As adults, we don't want them to think they have to handle it on their own," said Rose Cheney, executive director of the Firearm and Injury Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
"If, by putting people out there - not just as a town watch, but as resources who connect them to what they need from adults - that can be very promising," she said.
It's funny how things come full circle.
In the 1960's it was the Black Panther Party that espoused a rhetoric of self-reliance, black nationalism, and self (meaning community) defense against then-police aggression. Now we're turning that direction inward, to ward off inter-community aggression. Finally.
I think it was Huey Newton, who believed that the lowest classes of any society -- those most separated from the "benefits" of the society were the most important members of that society. Interfacing and relating to these "brothers off the block" was so important because
I know that might be too deep a thought for some of you to digest midday, but think about it when you get home -- those young brothers on the street, while violent, are very industrious, and many quite bright. What do you think might happen in our communities, if we were able to redirect those industrious, dilligent brains to more productive pursuits? Perhaps some strong black male leadership on the streets will bring one or two, or ten or a hundred back from the precipice.
Who knows. It's worth a try regardless.
If even 500 black men step forward to take up the challenge, we should consider this a success. While being derided by others not familiar with Philly's issues, I find it refreshing that a black man in authority has asked for black me to stand up and take charge.
He called on 10,000 of Philly's black men to form a sort of citizens brigade and patrol the streets of their neighborhoods. I applaud his call. While I wonder how many respondents he'll receive, I applaud his call nonetheless. Philly - like my home town Baltimore, is in the grips of a crime epidemic with 294 murders as of Tuesday, with 85% being hand gun crimes, and the overwhelming majority of those being black man on black man violence.
Johnson plans to introduce the "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" program on Oct. 21, three months before his planned retirement.
While they won't be armed, the men will be trained in conflict resolution strategies and self-defense tactics. They won't be police (obviously) but maybe they'll be more important -- a front-line defense for the communities they'll serve and more importantly, an example of leadership.
According to an AP article on the new plan, one gun-violence researcher said the idea of putting citizens on patrol had the potential to show children that adults care.
"A steady exposure to violence just creates this toxic environment for children and youth. As adults, we don't want them to think they have to handle it on their own," said Rose Cheney, executive director of the Firearm and Injury Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
"If, by putting people out there - not just as a town watch, but as resources who connect them to what they need from adults - that can be very promising," she said.
It's funny how things come full circle.
In the 1960's it was the Black Panther Party that espoused a rhetoric of self-reliance, black nationalism, and self (meaning community) defense against then-police aggression. Now we're turning that direction inward, to ward off inter-community aggression. Finally.
I think it was Huey Newton, who believed that the lowest classes of any society -- those most separated from the "benefits" of the society were the most important members of that society. Interfacing and relating to these "brothers off the block" was so important because
Maybe Chief Johnson realizes -- or is unwittingly, and unknowingly acknowledging -- in his call. We all realize that unarmed citizens won't stop shootings, and stabbings. But those unarmed men have a value in that they will be a symbol that the community cares about itself. Maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to make relationships with what Marx called the lumpenproletariat -- mostly composed of the "Criminal Element," the parasite, "existing off that which they rip off," in the Panther philosophy -- and bring them back into the folds of society, moving them back to the "Industrial Proletariat," which all social philosophers have found to be the engine behind radical social change.
"If you didn't relate to these cats, the power structure would organize these cats against you."
I know that might be too deep a thought for some of you to digest midday, but think about it when you get home -- those young brothers on the street, while violent, are very industrious, and many quite bright. What do you think might happen in our communities, if we were able to redirect those industrious, dilligent brains to more productive pursuits? Perhaps some strong black male leadership on the streets will bring one or two, or ten or a hundred back from the precipice.
Who knows. It's worth a try regardless.
If even 500 black men step forward to take up the challenge, we should consider this a success. While being derided by others not familiar with Philly's issues, I find it refreshing that a black man in authority has asked for black me to stand up and take charge.
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It is an interesting request. Asking men (and he could have included women, too) to regulate themselves, their own communities, in order to assist in controlling violence. It is nothing new to ask a community to self regulate-neighborhood watch groups, active block clubs- serve that purpose. I will be interested is seeing who takes up the call.
I can remember stories my father used to tell me of the Black Stone Rangers on the south side of Chicago who, in advance of the Black Panthers, served as a community protectorate, militia of sorts, not just protecting from general violence, but specifically looking out for kids going to school, folks going to and from work, and just keeping things civil. This day in age of psuedo-mafioso gangs driven by parasitic greed for drug money and peer influence, the idea of grassroots self regulation is a blessed request. Why wait for public entities (Social Workers, Police, Public Assistance, etc...) to help your community which is obviously given such a low priority. We could and should be healing ourselves... Look forward to hearing the progress of this "request."
I, too, look forward to following this development. Given the state of our inner-city communities by and large, I am at once, both inspired and resigned to its failure. The fact of the matter is that what we most need in Philly, Baltimore, Chicago, etc. is the thing that we most often don't get: involvement from the community members. Not making a judgment as to WHY, but just stating the fact. Hopefully a few good men (and women) will take up the challenge and attempt to bring some order back to chaos.