At Abyssinian Baptist Church, NYC: "This is terrible and it really DOES have to stop!"
April 12, 2015 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
From a reader:
Sunday, April 12—The statements from Cornel West and the Rev. Calvin Butts calling on people to join in the April 14 actions against police murder and brutality were very important and received very well by people streaming out of Abyssinian Baptist Church today. Knots of people stopped at the banner with the faces of 44 people murdered by the police in the past 20 years. Virtually everyone who stopped told us about Calvin Butts' announcement of the demonstration and their intention to attend. "This is terrible and it really DOES have to stop!" was one woman's comment. The sentiment echoed by many others in various ways. "All the cop has to say is that he feared for his life, they never ever get punished!! I am going to be out there with you all."
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A half dozen people stepped up and took "selfies" to send out to friends, on Instagram, email, or Facebook; we distributed about 400 posters, collected $149 and got out 1000 palm cards. A large part of the material distributed was in stacks to people going to their apartment buildings, work places, clubs etc. The posters were extremely popular and everyone wanted more than one to get to family and friends to put up in places where others could see it and promote April 14.
One older Black woman said, "This country is truly going to face the Lord's reckoning soon." At least six or seven people had been to the meeting on April 6—where Cornel West and Carl Dix spoke on April 14, joined by families of victims of police murder and others—and seemed highly motivated to participate on Tuesday. A number of people wanted to take part in carrying the enlargement in the streets and relished the idea of putting it out for all to see the reality of America for Black and brown people. Last week there were several comments about Black on Black crime being the important issue we need to address. This week several people specifically denounced that position.
Referring to video of the cop shooting Walter Scott in South Carolina a man said, "You expect a criminal to do harm. But the police are supposed to be out here to serve and protect us! Black killing other Blacks is not the issue here. It's to cover this up! These police obviously feel if they have a badge and they have a gun they have a right to do anything they want to do. That man in South Carolina. You know what's going through his head! He thinks that's alright he thinks he can just shoot this man down he's going to get away with it! And he would have gotten away with it if not for the video and people speaking up." The same person also made a point about the photographer being an immigrant and what they face.
One woman, about 65, recognized my button with the image of Bob Avakian (BA) and said, "Oh you all the people with that young white man who shared the stage with Dr. West!" She had not been at the Dialogue but a friend had told her that the "young white man" was very interesting. "I thought it was supposed to be about revolution versus religion but it wasn't like that was it." I told her the title and what BA and Cornel West discussed and struggled over. I explained to her who BA is, the new synthesis of communism, our strategy and vision for a whole different way the people can work together, learn to live work and struggle together to change the world in the interest of humanity. She left with the Revolution newspaper and posters and planned to join us in Harlem at noon on Tuesday, April 14.
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