If you are traveling in Missouri, you need to consider the Missouri NAACP Travel Advisory and the safety/security of those with you.
The NAACP Travel Advisory remains in effect.
In light of the Missouri Attorney General’s Vehicle Stops Report showing that Black people are nearly twice as likely to be stopped as Caucasians, the risk of an encounter with law enforcement is higher than ever before.
While we hope elected officials on the state and local level will act to protect the lives, liberty and property of Blacks in the same way Whites’ civil rights are, we must acknowledge the State of Missouri’s inequities and prepare for more of the same or worse.
Two years ago, Tori Sanders was killed in a Missouri jail cell. He had never been arrested. His killers have not been prosecuted. This is an aspect of Missouri justice.
Missouri courthouses are now closed to citizens human rights complaints of mental abuse and physical assaults for Blacks, women and many other protected groups. The Republican led legislature passed a law saying that minorities cannot sue the person that assaults their dignity when motivated by race, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin. The Missouri Constitution says for every wrong, a recourse exists in Court. The legislature again denies protection to Blacks in Missouri. Dred Scott knew it a century ago.
Even now, in 2019, Blacks are not full citizens in Missouri. We pay taxes, but are subject to knowing neglect from government and unwritten policies of prejudice in both law enforcement and the courts that cause harm to communities of color.
Our only recent successes have come from the ballot box. CLEAN took the money out of politics. Affected communities voting in elections brought justice minded prosecutors such as Wesley Bell, Kim Gardner, and Locke Thompson it enforce community standards of justice. The rise of leaders, such as Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and his plan to dismiss thousands of marijuana convictions demonstrates the morality in our communities.
Yet, we wait as the sheriffs in Missouri tell us that the Vehicle Stops Report is incorrect and our community complaints unfounded. Shame on those who would see an injustice and do nothing.
This 4th of July, on behalf of the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP, I ask that you be safe. Demonstrate your commitment to the American values of justice and equality that we celebrate with fireworks. Stand in honor of those who fight for our rights to vote. Protect people at risk from prejudice and injustice. This is America and we fight for what is right. Let’s do it together in our families, communities and the nation we know America can be.
Nimrod Chapel; Jr, President, Missouri State Conference of the NAACP
4 comments:
Obey laws. Obey officer instruction. Don’t run away.
That’s all it takes, Nimrod
Thank you, 2:50. Well said.
Sounds like a real Nimrod
This article is offensive, racially biased and wrong with our society these days. The last time I checked we have had an African American President (Nimrod uses Black) we have multiple ethnic groups representing our people in the house and Senate in the state of Missouri and Congress. The rights of our people are more protected than ever an our public service (police and fire are vulnerable every day to the criminals that are given more than enough chances to obey commands in traffic stops. A few years ago we had a Missori African American state representative Maria Chappel Nadal statedshe hoped the President would be assinated. She should have been removed from office. However, her race and gender probably allowed her to stay in office along. Nimrod's article could not be further from the truth and considered uninformed and wrong. The statistics show that in our area and the state of Missouri there are more white people pulled over and arrested than any other race also read the posed arrest records in the Joplin area. It is not 87% African American. Also police and law enforcement see that criminals continue to live the same life style and get caught.
Finally, by for the record, I am a minority and tired of people making the excuses and protecting habitual offenders.
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