7 BRONX WEEKLY June 7, 2020 www.BXTimes.com BY JASON COHEN
This week was horrifying.
A white woman
called the police on a black
man in Central Park and
a white cop in Minneapolis,
Minnesota murdered
a handcuffed black man
after kneeling on his neck
for three minutes.
There were riots in
Minnesota and New York
City, journalists were arrested
and a president that
called rioters “thugs.” Earlier
this month, cops body
slammed people of color
in the East Village and
Brooklyn for not social
distancing, while nothing
was done to white people
in the Upper East Side.
These incidents are
nothing new. There was
the killing of Breonna
Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky
a few weeks ago
when police entered her
home on a no knock warrant
and shot her eight
times as she slept. The
search also found nothing.
There is also the coldblooded
racist murder of
Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia
by two white men.
All of these incidents
should terrify anyone.
Police are supposed
to protect people, not kill
them. Did George Floyd
deserve to die over a
forged check? I think not.
On Friday, one cop was arrested
and three more to
go. Hopefully, justice will
follow.
If I was black I would
be scared of the cops.
Well Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson spoke
with the Bronx Times and
she has seen enough.
“This is happening all
across America,” she exclaimed.
Gibson is emotionally
drained. These deaths this
week and over the past
month have been excruciating
for her to read about.
She said that it is really
not safe to be a black person
in this country.
“No matter what position
you have in our community,
you are always
reminded everyday that
you are a woman of color,”
she commented. “This has
been one hell of a week.”
Whether it is Breonna
Taylor, Mike Brown or
George Floyd, things must
change, she said.
Police need to treat people
of color like they would
white people. Where was
the outrage when white
people protested against
the lockdown in Michigan?
The councilwoman
stressed most cops are
good, but it’s the bad ones
who ruin it. There needs
to be police reform and
people should want to be
cops for the right reasons.
More importantly,
black people should not be
afraid of cops.
“Those are my brothers
and sisters being killed by
policemen,” she said.
According to Gibson,
some people are just racist
and that’s how they were
raised. But cops need to
treat people better. They
should not assume because
a person is black or
brown they did something
wrong
“It is frustrating. We
know that at any time it
could be us,” she said. “All
of these things are happening
in white America.”
She fully supports the
NYPD, but wonders what
it will take for police to
change how they treat
people of color. How many
more people have to die?
Imagine if there were no
smartphones — many of
these incidents would go
unreported.
The councilwoman
feels if cops set a better example
then maybe more
children of color would
want to join law enforcement.
“It’s going to get worse
before it gets better,” Gibson
said.
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson speaks about racism.
Courtesy of Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson
15th Congressional District Debate
Diaz doesn’t show, but still appears to be the favorite
BY JASON COHEN
There is a saying in football,
that if you have two
quarterbacks, then you really
have none. That same
theory is applicable to last
night’s 15th Congressional
debate.
The event, featured 10
candidates, all who barely
had time to speak and not a
single one stood out from the
pack. The district, which is
the poorest in the country,
has its primary June 23.
While everyone last night
mostly shared similar views,
it is believed Pastor and
Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr.,
who is known for his antiabortion
and LGBTQ+ views
is the favorite. Diaz did not
attend the debate or the previous
one hosted by City Limits.
BronxNet, in partnership
with Schneps Media, the
Bronx Times Reporter and
the League of Women Voters
held the debate.
BronxTalk host Gary
Axelbank moderated the debate
and the candidates were
Councilman Ritchie Torres,
Frangell Basora, Michael A.
Blake, Samelys Lopez, Melissa
Mark-Viverito, Chivona
R. Newsome, Julio Pabon,
Tomas Ramos and Marlene
J. Tapper.
While a few people took
shots at Torres and Blake,
the night was calm. They discussed
poverty, racism, jobs
and health care.
Poverty
Torres, the youngest person
ever elected to city council,
who overcame COVID-19,
knows fi rsthand about poverty
as he grew up in public
housing in the south Bronx.
This is a community of immigrants
and people of color and
they need help, he stressed.
“COVID-19 has shown the
south Bronx is the essential
congressional district,” Torres
said. “People need jobs
and decent wages.”
Newsome, an activist
and co-founder of the NY
Black Lives Matter, claimed
people like Torres work for
the city, yet allowed places
like the 15th District to stay
poor. Newsome was born and
raised in the south Bronx.
“The struggles that happen
in my community I understand,”
she said.
Health Care
Lopez said she is the only
one running for offi ce without
health care and there are
too many in society without
it.
“Health care should not
be whether or not you have
a job,” she said. “The system
we have right now is not
working for us.”
Blake, who was born with
a heart murmur, echoed her
concerns.
“Our people are dying because
we haven’t addressed
the issues at hand,” Blake
explained. “At the end of the
day everyone just wants to
survive.”
Racism
Tapper said she has seen
too many black men and
women dying at the hands of
cops or racist people. According
to Tapper, there needs to
be mass police reform.
“We need to take power
away from the police,” she
said.
Ramos experienced
racism fi rsthand. He was
jumped by fi ve white men,
arrested by white cops and
locked up.
“Rikers is not a place for
anyone,” Ramos said.
Jobs
Blake said wondered why
the city has a lot of money allocated
for the NYPD and not
youths. How can people expect
to work if programs the
Summer Youth Employment
Program are axed?
“We need to build schools,
not jails,” the assemblyman
said.
Tapper said that the Bronx
needs to focus on middle class
jobs. Not everyone can afford
a four-year college, so people
need other options.
She stressed there should
be more trade schools in the
borough, so people can have
careers that don’t I involve
secondary education.
“We need to allow for apprenticeships
to come to the
Bronx,” she remarked.
Being Black in America
The candidates from the 15th Congressional District debate on
June 1. (top row l to r) Frangell Basora, Michael A. Blake, Samelys
Lopez, Chivona R. Newsome, Julio Pabon. (bottom row l to r) Thomas
Ramos, Ydanis Rodriguez, Marlene J. Tapper, Richie Torres, Melissa
Mark-Viverito. Courtesy of BronxNet
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