BYP100 Chicago Chapter leads march and demonstration in protest of racially unjust marijuana arrests
Members of BYP100’s Chicago Chapter led a march and demonstration at the Chicago Police Department headquarters on Tuesday.
The young Black activists called for an end to racially unjust marijuana arrests.
Black Chicagoans committed to ending racially targeted policing also demanded a meeting with Superintendent Garry McCarthy. The over-policing of Black Chicagoans has resulted in a “grass gap,” creating a Black to White marijuana arrest ration of 15 to 1 despite the rates of use across all races remaining about the same. This form of Black criminalization and racial profiling detracts from community safety and adds to the mistrust between police officers and community residents. It is estimated that nearly $78 million in taxpayer dollars are spent each year in court costs and thousands of police hours.
About 100 people joined the demonstration. To date, Superintendent McCarthy has not met the BYP100’s request. The young activists plan to return.
Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100) is an activist member-based organization of Black 18-35 year olds, dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. We do this through building a network focused on transformative leadership development, non-violent direct action organizing, advocacy and education using a Black queer feminist lens. We are an organization affiliated with the Black Youth Project.
Kudos to members of the Black Youth Project 100 for demanding change!