Dublin Core
Title
People's Tribunal on Police Brutality - Cleveland
Description
On April 11, 2015, people affected by the brutality of the criminal justice system in Cleveland Ohio gathered at Cleveland State University to tell their stories to a panel of distinguished civil rights activists.
Organized by the local activist group Puncture the Silence-Stop Mass Incarceration, the tribunal gave voice to courageous testifiers who refused to remain silent about their harrowing experiences with law enforcement officers and prison guards. These stories reveal the tip of the iceberg of the kind of outrageous treatment the people of Cleveland, particularly people of color, endure on a daily basis. The stories, which depict officers who feel justified in perpetrating crimes ranging everywhere from harassment and intimidation to torture and murder, lead inescapably to the conclusion that Cleveland’s police force is a diseased entity infected by a culture of impunity. Meanwhile, we see the psychological damage that continues to be inflicted on the members of the Cleveland communities terrorized by the police.
The panel that received the testimony was a powerhouse of people of conscience comprised of: Dr. Ed
McKinney, Social Work Professor Emeritus, Cleveland State University; Writer/activist Rev. Leah Lewis;
Shemariah Arki of Excellence Management Group; Cephus ”Uncle Bobby” Johnson, Uncle of Oscar Grant; Edward Little, Public Policy Consultant and one of the Cleveland 8 working for Justice for Tamir Rice; Bill Swain, Revolution newspaper; and Genevieve Mitchell, Director of The Black Women’s Center. As they listened to often excruciating detail of police assaults and murder, they offered support to help the victims cope with their pain, saying “We’re here to lift you up.” They expressed militancy in calling for resistance, participation in the “Shut Down” actions on April 14, the need for all to say, “No more!” and for the need to give voice to the unheard stories of those who have been killed. They stated that we are in a state of emergency and the time for action is now, if we are going to stop police murder.
Organized by the local activist group Puncture the Silence-Stop Mass Incarceration, the tribunal gave voice to courageous testifiers who refused to remain silent about their harrowing experiences with law enforcement officers and prison guards. These stories reveal the tip of the iceberg of the kind of outrageous treatment the people of Cleveland, particularly people of color, endure on a daily basis. The stories, which depict officers who feel justified in perpetrating crimes ranging everywhere from harassment and intimidation to torture and murder, lead inescapably to the conclusion that Cleveland’s police force is a diseased entity infected by a culture of impunity. Meanwhile, we see the psychological damage that continues to be inflicted on the members of the Cleveland communities terrorized by the police.
The panel that received the testimony was a powerhouse of people of conscience comprised of: Dr. Ed
McKinney, Social Work Professor Emeritus, Cleveland State University; Writer/activist Rev. Leah Lewis;
Shemariah Arki of Excellence Management Group; Cephus ”Uncle Bobby” Johnson, Uncle of Oscar Grant; Edward Little, Public Policy Consultant and one of the Cleveland 8 working for Justice for Tamir Rice; Bill Swain, Revolution newspaper; and Genevieve Mitchell, Director of The Black Women’s Center. As they listened to often excruciating detail of police assaults and murder, they offered support to help the victims cope with their pain, saying “We’re here to lift you up.” They expressed militancy in calling for resistance, participation in the “Shut Down” actions on April 14, the need for all to say, “No more!” and for the need to give voice to the unheard stories of those who have been killed. They stated that we are in a state of emergency and the time for action is now, if we are going to stop police murder.
Creator
Puncture the Silence
Source
Youtube
Date
2015-04-14
Format
.mp4
Language
English
Identifier
CLE.001.015
Coverage
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Moving Image Item Type Metadata
Transcription
0:04I meeting
0:07keying and people's alone
0:12when me no I
0:17hey Ian a your home you know belittled
0:22home the three holes in Table Mountain Home &
0:26company yen
0:31who I'm
0:35individual it yeah
0:38media and yeah I many
0:41I wouldn't worry you won't believe how many in I
0:46ball baby will you know I
0:50right now but as usual it wouldn't hurt my
0:57you know the United Nations you make me
1:00normally me and what with all the time he's in the world
1:05Nong Albany
1:08when is my home
1:12waving hello the movie movie u Me
1:15in everything he did they happily well you know i will never
1:19yeah region's only Level air you know me
1:24I am going nowhere lol have money
1:28my police heard my
1:32Angela Miller yeah he'll eight years ago
1:36is harmony like
1:39dude is you know it here
1:43it is the email I'm that
1:46owner eight years the where
1:49yea and whom he didn't know
1:53home you don't do anything
1:57day so you you know we all have not here right
2:01yeah you know to leave work anymore know him and bring him
2:07yeah way Winslow a thing called
2:10are they go you you know
2:13radio is the laptop you they had
2:17have in mind I'm was
2:20million %uh it was on me
2:23only really don't know
2:26how to swim you but
2:30when I don't know lemme is willing to hold me
2:33yeah I'm trying to round the police officer
2:37me every lowered no means
2:40the in the name and
2:46home be no yeah
2:50a long day 81
2:53homes saying went
2:57one-third you work out today
3:02yeah you are my baby
3:06day my yeah
3:09doing although it is then the following day
3:14im with hitler's
3:18it was I event happen
3:21your watching the Loom you know everything
3:25my think he'll the United admires
3:29it is getting worse you know just like you
3:32UK he will because the pain when you think a
3:36when you like that are young and one important line
3:40NES a shot eight
3:42them how do you know here every year
3:46I mean diahann
3:50or in 20 min is I happen to know
3:55yeah I'm because I happen does it work
3:59yeah he is in Grandview
4:02yeah known yeah when your child
4:07the way you yeah I'm
4:10way nah character these yes
4:13right Selby painted toward
4:17is complex no more than pink a little more selfish
4:21hey eat no their house seeing
4:25is OK the only weekend is lacking
4:30you know you haven't yet hearing everything channel
4:35yeah and I'll
4:38red all my on of
4:41all rolling are in remove
4:45are the %um me how he
4:49the name army
4:54who who the hell
5:00me anyway I because my
5:04here United you you know them
5:08acting in there him
5:15yeah julia Ann Brown probably
5:20and I am a rebel
5:24I am he
5:27nothing %um
5:32your day and a Lee
5:35lower him any
5:38young homered needn't home
5:44on I my on
5:48and of Nani
5:52anyway up more grand jury
5:56hunie
6:00or you know my on and doesn't know
6:03talking here
6:06you know
6:07me the way polling
6:11we have build he dollars being
6:16here won't do any bleeding warm
6:19any named it with me
6:22do how do we then
6:28all four years one in 20
6:31he didn't pay me
6:34didn't work Ian him nobody will know
6:37the man weird my husband
6:43other drilled
6:46even me Ronnie menu in the
6:49even me you know that
6:53you right now up
6:56saying they
7:01the call now or told them I celebrate in style with this the hoping
7:05position where to hold a fantastic all
7:09to 10 ish Alyssa she came up the store
7:13they grab hola both program holan she said
7:16toppling Fort batman is with a good hit bro
7:19talks way to myself would say some backswing
7:24and the guy when all me drop my surgeon
7:271 I'll take part so no medical pot
7:31he called baghdad wrong
7:34need to put that bright at back
7:37incident he is they have to see hope they have to fly all these people care
7:41it when you have a neighborhood like day the police can't come
7:45it someplace like that when everybody knows each other the way to death
7:49that a meeting was supposed to go down as the ponies was posted no
7:52when he was in with one word and pull up but we would like to know wouldn't like
7:57that would only call your mobile
7:58that's what it was supposed to be the let me call your local
8:02Omaha blah blah blah blah you not get carried away
8:06that house supposedly you have a this stuff going on right now we don't know
8:10each other they don't know if they don't know nobody they believe they don't
8:12belong police in that neighborhood
8:14not we don't belong in my neighborhood if you don't know nobody in wanted
8:17things that you experience was that
8:20are these brothers are there were locked up
8:23did have no education they can read it can write and
8:26and know who you are now right is that what you gave them cuz that when I heard
8:30the word care up to light
8:31that not only were you in there but you were providing them something
8:35that they needed now was the care Ubuntu standing but how to
8:39learn to read how to learn to write how to learn to express yourself
8:43soda just a quick question yes basic
8:46do I re by lead
8:50me right back right back
8:53right you
8:55when the class I wasn't I was at
8:59and then I'll when we've got transferred
9:02a with green yellow soccer
9:07revealed no sector effort agree with Carolina
9:11supplied we were supposed to be these we got outplayed
9:14got pink slips I'll you three months before
9:18and they told me Asia or not you can
9:22you can't legally up because you gotta violets are
9:26and as a whole but glutamate keep 18
9:30told me USA that responsible for me he said I can leave it at No
9:35we're not letting you the this institution which was wet
9:38and I fear whole whole doesn't even make sense
9:42so what are the worst up muppet
9:46a row a whole nor and I say they're keeping me here
9:50for extradited a so that did
9:53every day with things 50,000 yes it was
9:56the times the night not quite nicely
10:0010-02-2010 basis over here and it is that come with me
10:03milking 11 I was gonna today attitude I'll
10:07saying an F grade right
10:11and and that which is ethically what we need in our community
10:15you know national love in a care that you spoke up and and just
10:18really show just how we can do it in our community when we engage our young
10:23people and that's why I
10:24truly exceeded truly believe well Frederick Douglass has a quote that i
10:28truly loving it is
10:29it is easier to build strong children that it is to repair broken man
10:33you know what i'm saying is so what you doing is BRRip thank you
10:36and I you know for the younger brothers that are in here you know
10:39we happen to take up this leadership
10:43because are went back to McKinney said
10:46that we have to take it to a different level it has to be
10:50down by the young people yourselves others like yourself that have that
10:55experience to share with the world
10:57the real history what's going on you know and I believe I'll
11:01nobody here had talked a little bit about it you know Wed
11:04crimes
11:05have the United States committed that has to be exposed
11:09because many of us families when we entered today
11:13criminal justice system right we really come in thinking that we don't get some
11:17justice
11:18him you know we really do it will be the first one to say it
11:22please no violence we are non by the family
11:25no bias I'll let us get our day in court so we can get this Jessica it is clear
11:29that my nephew
11:30didn't do anything wrong in there we get kicked in the face we come to a
11:34different political beliefs in understanding how the system worked
11:38institutionalized racism in the criminal justice system Israel
11:42does country is hemorrhaging on the criminal justice system
11:46because it's still maintaining a sale is a breeze system
11:49in a sport lessons up his existence is so we have to be clear about that
11:53and though we didn't talk a lot about arm the prison industrial system
11:58however is directly connected to those police brutality in tears and every city
12:02every day
0:07keying and people's alone
0:12when me no I
0:17hey Ian a your home you know belittled
0:22home the three holes in Table Mountain Home &
0:26company yen
0:31who I'm
0:35individual it yeah
0:38media and yeah I many
0:41I wouldn't worry you won't believe how many in I
0:46ball baby will you know I
0:50right now but as usual it wouldn't hurt my
0:57you know the United Nations you make me
1:00normally me and what with all the time he's in the world
1:05Nong Albany
1:08when is my home
1:12waving hello the movie movie u Me
1:15in everything he did they happily well you know i will never
1:19yeah region's only Level air you know me
1:24I am going nowhere lol have money
1:28my police heard my
1:32Angela Miller yeah he'll eight years ago
1:36is harmony like
1:39dude is you know it here
1:43it is the email I'm that
1:46owner eight years the where
1:49yea and whom he didn't know
1:53home you don't do anything
1:57day so you you know we all have not here right
2:01yeah you know to leave work anymore know him and bring him
2:07yeah way Winslow a thing called
2:10are they go you you know
2:13radio is the laptop you they had
2:17have in mind I'm was
2:20million %uh it was on me
2:23only really don't know
2:26how to swim you but
2:30when I don't know lemme is willing to hold me
2:33yeah I'm trying to round the police officer
2:37me every lowered no means
2:40the in the name and
2:46home be no yeah
2:50a long day 81
2:53homes saying went
2:57one-third you work out today
3:02yeah you are my baby
3:06day my yeah
3:09doing although it is then the following day
3:14im with hitler's
3:18it was I event happen
3:21your watching the Loom you know everything
3:25my think he'll the United admires
3:29it is getting worse you know just like you
3:32UK he will because the pain when you think a
3:36when you like that are young and one important line
3:40NES a shot eight
3:42them how do you know here every year
3:46I mean diahann
3:50or in 20 min is I happen to know
3:55yeah I'm because I happen does it work
3:59yeah he is in Grandview
4:02yeah known yeah when your child
4:07the way you yeah I'm
4:10way nah character these yes
4:13right Selby painted toward
4:17is complex no more than pink a little more selfish
4:21hey eat no their house seeing
4:25is OK the only weekend is lacking
4:30you know you haven't yet hearing everything channel
4:35yeah and I'll
4:38red all my on of
4:41all rolling are in remove
4:45are the %um me how he
4:49the name army
4:54who who the hell
5:00me anyway I because my
5:04here United you you know them
5:08acting in there him
5:15yeah julia Ann Brown probably
5:20and I am a rebel
5:24I am he
5:27nothing %um
5:32your day and a Lee
5:35lower him any
5:38young homered needn't home
5:44on I my on
5:48and of Nani
5:52anyway up more grand jury
5:56hunie
6:00or you know my on and doesn't know
6:03talking here
6:06you know
6:07me the way polling
6:11we have build he dollars being
6:16here won't do any bleeding warm
6:19any named it with me
6:22do how do we then
6:28all four years one in 20
6:31he didn't pay me
6:34didn't work Ian him nobody will know
6:37the man weird my husband
6:43other drilled
6:46even me Ronnie menu in the
6:49even me you know that
6:53you right now up
6:56saying they
7:01the call now or told them I celebrate in style with this the hoping
7:05position where to hold a fantastic all
7:09to 10 ish Alyssa she came up the store
7:13they grab hola both program holan she said
7:16toppling Fort batman is with a good hit bro
7:19talks way to myself would say some backswing
7:24and the guy when all me drop my surgeon
7:271 I'll take part so no medical pot
7:31he called baghdad wrong
7:34need to put that bright at back
7:37incident he is they have to see hope they have to fly all these people care
7:41it when you have a neighborhood like day the police can't come
7:45it someplace like that when everybody knows each other the way to death
7:49that a meeting was supposed to go down as the ponies was posted no
7:52when he was in with one word and pull up but we would like to know wouldn't like
7:57that would only call your mobile
7:58that's what it was supposed to be the let me call your local
8:02Omaha blah blah blah blah you not get carried away
8:06that house supposedly you have a this stuff going on right now we don't know
8:10each other they don't know if they don't know nobody they believe they don't
8:12belong police in that neighborhood
8:14not we don't belong in my neighborhood if you don't know nobody in wanted
8:17things that you experience was that
8:20are these brothers are there were locked up
8:23did have no education they can read it can write and
8:26and know who you are now right is that what you gave them cuz that when I heard
8:30the word care up to light
8:31that not only were you in there but you were providing them something
8:35that they needed now was the care Ubuntu standing but how to
8:39learn to read how to learn to write how to learn to express yourself
8:43soda just a quick question yes basic
8:46do I re by lead
8:50me right back right back
8:53right you
8:55when the class I wasn't I was at
8:59and then I'll when we've got transferred
9:02a with green yellow soccer
9:07revealed no sector effort agree with Carolina
9:11supplied we were supposed to be these we got outplayed
9:14got pink slips I'll you three months before
9:18and they told me Asia or not you can
9:22you can't legally up because you gotta violets are
9:26and as a whole but glutamate keep 18
9:30told me USA that responsible for me he said I can leave it at No
9:35we're not letting you the this institution which was wet
9:38and I fear whole whole doesn't even make sense
9:42so what are the worst up muppet
9:46a row a whole nor and I say they're keeping me here
9:50for extradited a so that did
9:53every day with things 50,000 yes it was
9:56the times the night not quite nicely
10:0010-02-2010 basis over here and it is that come with me
10:03milking 11 I was gonna today attitude I'll
10:07saying an F grade right
10:11and and that which is ethically what we need in our community
10:15you know national love in a care that you spoke up and and just
10:18really show just how we can do it in our community when we engage our young
10:23people and that's why I
10:24truly exceeded truly believe well Frederick Douglass has a quote that i
10:28truly loving it is
10:29it is easier to build strong children that it is to repair broken man
10:33you know what i'm saying is so what you doing is BRRip thank you
10:36and I you know for the younger brothers that are in here you know
10:39we happen to take up this leadership
10:43because are went back to McKinney said
10:46that we have to take it to a different level it has to be
10:50down by the young people yourselves others like yourself that have that
10:55experience to share with the world
10:57the real history what's going on you know and I believe I'll
11:01nobody here had talked a little bit about it you know Wed
11:04crimes
11:05have the United States committed that has to be exposed
11:09because many of us families when we entered today
11:13criminal justice system right we really come in thinking that we don't get some
11:17justice
11:18him you know we really do it will be the first one to say it
11:22please no violence we are non by the family
11:25no bias I'll let us get our day in court so we can get this Jessica it is clear
11:29that my nephew
11:30didn't do anything wrong in there we get kicked in the face we come to a
11:34different political beliefs in understanding how the system worked
11:38institutionalized racism in the criminal justice system Israel
11:42does country is hemorrhaging on the criminal justice system
11:46because it's still maintaining a sale is a breeze system
11:49in a sport lessons up his existence is so we have to be clear about that
11:53and though we didn't talk a lot about arm the prison industrial system
11:58however is directly connected to those police brutality in tears and every city
12:02every day
Original Format
.mp4
Duration
13 minutes, 1 second
Producer
People's Tribunal on Police Brutality