The furious struggle for justice for the late Eric Garner took years, long hard years. But his family and friends before a bare pittance was granted in the belated decision to dismiss the cop who choked him to death. Uncharged I might add. The name Eric Garner has become a catch word for the state of black America for decades, if not centuries, who can barely breathe free air?
The phone cam recording of the police killing of George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, by a beefy cop putting his knee on the neck of Floyd provides an eerie echo of Garner’s words from at least five years before. I can’t breathe. Floyd, his breath cut off, cries for the person gave him life: his mama. Within minutes Floyd is gone.
Eric Garner was approached by a police squad after a merchant complained that he was selling loosies or single cigarettes. Floyd was approached by several cops. After a merchant claimed he passed a forge to $20 bill. Think about that. Two men, two fathers, choked to death because of merchant complaints about loose cigarettes and the fake $20 bill, allegedly.
This is a statement about how in a capitalist society merchandise is more important than black life. George Floyd joined the collective he never wanted to join and perhaps never expected to join. It is the roll call of the dead caused by the state and a system of repression that is all pervasive.
Does black life matter? Not yet
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
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