PLATFORM : Racial Injustice

The lesson of Damian Williams’ trial and sentencing is this: that racism still controls the operation of our criminal-justice system. It was racism that caused the prosecution to severely overcharge Williams in the first place; it was racism that caused Judge Ouderkirk to rule in favor of the prosecution in virtually every instance; it was racism that caused the judge to dismiss an African American juror who was holding out for a fair trial, and it was racism that caused the media to blow the possible fears of one juror into a story that the entire jury was fearful of reprisals from the African American community if it acquitted Williams.

Some “civic leaders” are now saying it’s time to leave behind the events of the last couple of years in Los Angeles and to “move on” in a spirit of healing. I do not think it’s time to move on; I think it’s time to fight on. Time to fight on for true equality under the law for all residents of our city, be they black or white, be they rich or poor, be they police officer or private citizen.

If we do not stop and reflect on what the trials of the police officers who beat Rodney King and of those who beat Reginald Denny tell us about our society, we will not be “moving on.” We will be stuck in the same old system of racial injustice that has dominated our nation since its inception. Until we, as a society, have eliminated all vestiges of racism from our criminal justice system, large numbers of our people will have little respect for “the rule of law.” And until there is respect for the rule of law by all the people, there will be no justice and no peace in our city for any of us.