Mothers of Young Men Slain by NYPD Call on Artists to Submit Songs for Justice
The Justice Committee – an organization that combats police abuse and violence – has released a video featuring mothers of young men killed by the NYPD.
The brave women call on musicians to write and submit lyrics or original songs that call for justice for their families.
Dubbed Mothers Cry for Justice, the video also announces a day of action at the NYPD headquarters on May 10th.
The following mothers were featured in the video:
- Margarita Rosario, mother of Anthony Rosario and aunt of Hilton Vega who were shot at 28 times and killed by NYPD in 1995. There was clear evidence they were shot in the back while lying on their stomachs, and the officers responsible were never charged. The Civilian Complaint Review Board found the officers used “unnecessary and excessive force” but the NYPD ignored the finding.
- Juanita Young, mother of Malcolm Ferguson who was shot and killed by NYPD in 2000 in the Bronx, just three blocks from where Amadou Diallo was shot at 41 times and killed by the NYPD in 1999. The officer responsible was never charged with a crime and yet admitted during the civil trial that he shot Mr. Ferguson for no reason.
- Allene Person, mother of Timur Person who was shot at five times and killed by the NYPD in 2006.
- Constance Malcolm, mother of Ramarley Graham who was shot and killed by the NYPD in 2012. The officer responsible has been criminally charged and is facing first and second degree manslaughter charges.
The deadline for submissions to Mothers Cry for Justice is July 1st, 2013. Contact the Justice Committee for more details at info@justicecommittee.org
Check out the moving video below:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpmjCjvySeA
A deeply moving video, and a wonderful initiative
Be sure to share this with any writers and artists you know
These families deserve justice!