By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn Councilwoman
Farah Louis has been in
office for just one year, but
she’s already demonstrated her
strong activism.
On Tuesday, Caribbean Life
asked the daughter of Haitian
immigrants why it was important
for her to participate in
demonstrations against police
brutality and racial injustice.
“On the heels of yet another
unarmed Black man killed by
police — George Floyd in Minneapolis,
I marched alongside
thousands of peaceful protesters
to demand police accountability,
racial justice, and equality,”
said Louis, who represents
the 45th Council District in
Brooklyn. “I rally and continue
to #saytheirnames because
the men, women and children
killed by police in this city and
across the nation look like me.
“I persist because any of
these instances could have happened
to me or any of my loved
ones,” she added. “I protest
because I represent a community
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Caribbean L 22 ife, June 19-25, 2020
where community-police
relations have been strained by
the excessive force used against
civilians of all ages – in our
homes and in our streets.
“This tumultuous relationship
has spanned across generations
who are survivors of police
violence, having lost loved ones
or must cope with physical and
emotional scars inflicted during
personal encounters with
the NYPD,” Louis continued.
“This generation has had to
grow up witnessing the police
murder us in broad daylight
on video for being Black in
America.”
She said the blatant disregard
for Black lives is evident
in the threatening nature
of uniformed officers during
recent weeks of anti-police brutality
protests, the inappropriate
comments made by law
enforcement from top brass to
rank and file members nationwide,
and the “pervasiveness of
white privilege that has weaponized
the use of law enforcement
against us.”
Louis said the City of New
York, particularly the 45th
Council District, , is home to
thousands of Caribbean families
who have immigrated to
the US to build a better life.
“In spite of the discrimination
that many of us have experienced,
we remained undeterred
in the pursuit of opportunity,”
she affirmed. “Some sought to
support their community and
change the system’s disparate
treatment of Black people by
joining the NYPD, only to be
misaligned with values that are
contrary to their own personal
beliefs and then retaliated
against for speaking out.
“We went from saying, ‘don’t
shoot’ to ‘I can’t breathe’ as
bad actors within the police
department continue to veer
away from proper protocols and
procedures to utilize inhumane
tactics to subdue us without
regard for the high risk for
mortality,” she added.
Louis said the weight of the
“law” is suffocating Black communities
who remain oppressed
City Council Member Farah Louis at City Hall. Offi ce of Council
Member Farah Louis
– grappling with racial profiling
and bias, overincarceration,
income and health disparities.
“We have to change public
perception that being Black in
America is equivalent to a death
sentence. #BLACKLIVESMATTER
today and everyday —
without question,” she said.
As co-chair of the New York
City Council Women’s Caucus,
Louis said she is proud that
women have been at the forefront
of this movement.
Louis: I marched for police
accountability, racial justice
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