I wonder if this is more about having street credibility or more about a distrust of the police in general as having brought forth this phenomenon.
In Chicago, it was common knowledge that many police were corrupt and racist and did not care for AAs. This is not an uncommon phenomenon across the country. How many of us today are happy when we see the police as we are driving by? What instinctual emotions are evoked? Relief? Disdain?
Accordingly, I think that the article, to some extent, misses a big point in not addressing the behavior of the police in contributing to the lack of communication between the police and many in the community.
Now, the "don't snitch" mentality is bad b/c how can you expect to solve crimes. However, the police themselves have had alot to do with the general breakdown in communication - this is coming from a person who did not grow up in the poor communities that are referred to in the article. Yet, just being AA growing up in Chicago, I grew up with the knowledge that you don't always want to see the police and that many didn't even care for AAs. Shoot, it wasn't too long ago that I got pulled over for Driving While Black (DWB) in Chicago. How do I know that it was DWB? I was in an ultra majority community at night trying to go to the mall. The female majority policewoman pulled up on the side of me at a red light. She looked over at me. When the light turned green, she did not pull off. She waited for me to pull off, then pulled behind me. She proceeded to follow me for at least half a block, then pulled me over. Now why would any police officer, look over, see a person, then wait until they pull off so that they can pull behind them and follow them? So no, I do not adhere to the "don't snitch" way of thinking. However, I do not particularly like seeing the police, even if I'm just passing them on the street.
I understand that LA has a similar history of dealings between the police and the AA community when AAs initially came to LA - not to mention the Rodney King incident. Shoot, NY police department is not half stepping with the brutality either. What about the guy who was just riddled with bullets the night before his wedding? Amadou Diallo, etc. etc.
The police departments must really be called on the carpet as well to address the role that has been played in this result.
SC
Quote:
Originally Posted by AKA_Monet
I found this diatribe very interesting:
Stop Snitchin'
Kids it's time to get serious about our future and direction.
When I viewed this story, I make the prediction that "The Powers That Be" will "back stab" or "turn coat" on these Hip Hop Artists. Like a huge campaign will put them out of business until some other "market" sells hip hop. Somedays, it seems that hip hop may have run its course because "the public" or "demographic" that buys this music desire a different market.
Times will be changing. And either we move, follow, get out of the way or get left behind. This happened after disco died... |