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HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Unity among Latino and African American communities grows as the nation demands change

by Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

History tells us they never met, Yet, the George Floyd story has but Cesar Chavez and Dr. served as the tipping point and catalyst Martin Luther King Jr. were of change and for what can only be de certainly allied in their shared goals and scribed as a movement. A movement efforts to ensure equality and inclusion. in the spirit of Dr. King and Chavez,

“Our separate struggles are really peaceful protests that demanded these one – a struggle for freedom, for dignity injustices be corrected, stringent in ac and for humanity. You and your fellow tion that requires unity and patience as workers have demonstrated your com well as resolve. mitment to righting grievous wrongs In the vein of Cesar and Martin, forced upon exploited people. We are Latino and African American leaders together with you in spirit and in de are united across the county to denounce termination that our dreams for a better hate and profiling that we see happening tomorrow will be realized.” – Dr. Martin even in my congressional district – in Luther King Jr. in a telegram to labor Harlem, Bronx and Washington Heights. leader and civil rights activist, Cesar We are stronger together and must con Chavez, in 1966. tinue to stand in solidarity to unite our

What we witnessed nearly two communities against hate and division. weeks ago with the killing of George As a member of the Congressional Floyd in Minneapolis by a police officer Hispanic Caucus (CHC), I am proud to never should have happened and Mr. stand with my Congressional Black Cau Floyd should still be alive. His death was cus (CBC) colleagues to demand justice not the first time we saw video of police and call for an end to the police brutal brutality, and there are countless stories ity and targeting of African Americans of unarmed African Americans who around the nation. have been profiled, brutalized, or tragi The Justice in Policing Act aims to cally losing their life as a result of poremove barriers to prosecuting police lice violence. And, there are the names misconduct and recovering damages of victims that we have come to know from officers who have violated civil from their stories that have captured ians’ rights, including by ending qualthe attention of the nation: Eric Garner, ified immunity by law enforcement; Ezell Ford, Tanisha Anderson, Tamir demilitarize the police by limiting the Rice, Natasha McKenna, Philando Cas transfer of military weaponry to state tile, Botham Jean, Breonna Taylor, and and local police departments; combat unfortunately many others. police brutality, including by requiring

body and dashboard cameras, banning chokeholds, ending the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases and enacting steps to end racial profiling; step up pressure on the Justice Department to address systemic racial discrimination by law enforcement; and, officially make lynch ing a federal hate crime, as the House did in passing H.R. 35 earlier this year.

Many of my legislative priorities were also included in the Justice in Po licing Act, which are policies highlighted in my Harlem Manifesto:

Denial of Rights Prevention and Ac countability Act, which I introduced last week to change the 18 U.S.C. Sec. 242 mens rea requirement from willfulness to recklessness; the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act, which pro hibits and makes punishable the use of a chokehold or any maneuvers restricting blood flow or oxygen to the brain; the End ing Qualified Immunity Act, which explicitly states that the judicial theory of qualified immunity is not a defense to liability; the Police Exercising Absolute Care with Everyone (PEACE) Act to change the use of force standard for officers to require that force must be necessary, as a last resort; the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act, which prohibits the Defense Department from transferring military weapons to state and local law enforcement agencies; the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which creates accreditation standards to ensure compliance with approved practic es and transparency within the community; and, the Police CAMERA Act, which would require all law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and prohibit the sei zure of cell phones or other recording devices used to document police interactions.

As someone who has long fought for communities of color in my district, I understand fully what’s at stake and vow to continue my fight for African Amer ican and Latino families around the nation to ensure all persons are treated equally under the law.

Now is the time for systemic and transformational change of America’s policing system, to transition away from a policing-first model. The best anti-crime policies are anti-poverty policies, and we must invest in our communities to foster hope, change and opportunity. If we fail to act and implement real change today, history will judge us by our inaction and fail ure to ensure life, liberty and justice for all.

Espaillat represents New York’s 13th District.

Story originally published in The Hill Vol. 25, No 26 June 25, 2020

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