Impassioned and resolute, Bronx City Councilman Andy King laid out the implications of being Black in America from a physical, emotional and economic standpoint when he addressed a crowd at a Unity and Solidarity food and face mask distribution event on Jun. 9, 2020. Joined by former NYPD officer and Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams, and 32 BJ Union President Kyle Bragg, King appealed to Black elected leaders to seize the moment and stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protestors to effect lasting change.

 

The event was held outside King’s District 12 office on East Gun Hill Road in the midday sunshine where 500 food boxes and masks were handed out by volunteers, some wearing T-shirts that displayed the words, “Aim High”. The three speakers expanded on the prevailing police brutality theme to highlight additional social justice issues and racial inequities plaguing the Black community, with King calling for such issues to be addressed if America is to heal and move forward.

He addressed the crowd from a podium bearing a poster which displayed the words, “Clause Awareness Day” referring to the so-called “three-fifths clause” in the U.S. Constitution which historically required that only three-fifths of the then-slave population in any state be counted towards that state’s congressional representation.

 

The clause has long since been nullified. However, as reported previously by Bronxnet, the Councilman has been calling attention to, and educating the community about this clause for many years. Clause Awareness Day has been recognized annually on March 5^th in New York City since 2017.

 

The councilman spoke about how common assumptions linking Black people with crime unfairly impact the Black community as a whole and often lead to violence and death, a prejudice, whether voluntary or involuntary, that is a legacy of slavery according to King.

 

“Because they told the White man that the Black man is not equal to you, so when law enforcement thinks it’s ok to kick down a door and kill a teenager, and a white officer does this, it’s not ok,” he said. “When a White officer thinks it’s ok to choke the life out of a brother who’s a father of five, it’s not ok. When law enforcement thinks it’s ok to shoot a brother in a staircase, it’s not ok. Even civilians – you cannot shoot a brother that’s jogging and think it’s ok.”

 

In fact, a recent Op-Ed in The New York Times suggests that the protests taking place across the country are not just a reaction to the question of racism but to anti-Blackness specifically.

The group Mapping Police Violence has been tracking police violence and reporting on it online for several years. According to their records, there were only 27 days in 2019 when a Black person was not killed by police in the United States. Between 2013 and 2019, in 99 percent of cases where police killed people, the officers were not charged with a crime. In New York City, 19 people have been killed by police between 2013 and 2019.

 

On the other hand, author Heather McDonald recently wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which she refuted the extent of systemic racism within law enforcement. She previously  wrote a book on the topic. At a congressional oversight hearing on policing practices in September 2019 during which McDonald provided testimony, some of her data research methodology was challenged by another panelist, Dr Phillip Atiba Goff. The full hearing is available to view on YouTube.

 

Meanwhile, the NYPD has said recently that police officers have 375 million interactions with the public each year with “overwhelmingly positive responses”.

 

Referring to the recent protests across the country, and the various interactions between police and protestors, McDonald also wrote in the WSJ article that police were being assaulted and shot at while trying to arrest gun suspects. Norwood News reported that on Jun. 4,  five people were arrested for criminal possession of weapons close to the location of a protest in Mott Haven, though police did not confirm if those arrested were part of the protest or not.

 

NYPD said posters had been displayed in Mott Haven ahead of the Jun. 4 event indicating that demonstrators were going “to burn things down” and “cause mayhem”. Meanwhile, protestors said that the corralling by police was unprovoked and that the protest was peaceful.

 

To King’s point about wrongful assumptions, in fact commentators have long argued that the stereotyping of certain members of the Black community as criminals has been fueled by negative depictions of Black people on TV and in the movies dating back to the original “Birth of a Nation” film.

Film director, writer and producer, Spike Lee, has said that he actually shows this film to his students in order to demonstrate how art can be weaponized to demonize a specific culture. Indeed, this is one of the reasons for the concerted movement towards a more inclusive and less-White Hollywood.

 

During his speech, King also reproached those who deny racial inequality exists, saying that if everyone was on the same playing field, resources would be split equally, people would not verbally abuse others using racial slurs, and people would not be allowed kill and get away with it. “I’m not promoting violence,” he said. “But you know, if you kill me, I have the right to kill you and get away with it too.”

 

King said the rules in the country needed to change if genuine talk about equality and justice was to be had, and that people needed to live up to the true meaning of equality and justice every day. Aside from legislation on police reform, including, for example, the banning of chokeholds, King said more action was needed to level the playing field for the Black community, including support for Black-owned businesses.

 

“And when I say Black, I want you to be real clear,” he said. “My definition of Black is understanding the history of being Black in America, so if you’re from Puerto Rico, if you’re from the Dominican Republic, if you’re from Ecuador, if you’re from Mexico, if you’re from Honduras, if you’re from Haiti, if you’re from Jamaica, if you’re from Georgia, if you’re from Brooklyn, if you’re from the Bronx, recognize that you’re Black in America, ok?”

 

According to recent census figures, of the 135,782 firms in the Bronx, 110,222 are minority-owned firms, though the breakdown of minorities is not provided. However, it has been widely acknowledged that the practice of redlining holds back potential business owners from developing businesses in low income neighborhoods. According to bankrate.com, redlining is the illegal practice [by financial institutions] of refusing to provide financial services [such as business loans] to consumers based on the area where they live.

 

Prior to the passage of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in 1977, consumers who lived in redlined communities were regularly denied loans solely based on their neighborhood. While redlining was made illegal in 1977, critics maintain that the discrimination continues, particularly among communities of color.

The councilman also highlighted the dehumanizing, mental toll that comes with internalizing racism when wrought on a community, especially the toll on young Black men who have suffered and continue to suffer the indignity of stereotyping and name-calling through terms such as, “Black Penny, Black Boys, thugs, uneducated, living in ghettos, savages, criminals, scoundrels, poor, thieves, hood-rats, predators,” and “super-predators”.

 

The term “super-predator” was brought into the urban lexicon by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when, in the mid-nineties, she used the term in a speech about crime and the need to “take back the streets from crime, gangs and drugs” infamously saying that such gangs were often connected to big drug cartels, and had to be “brought to heel”. In an ironic twist, when talking later about the need for respect, unity and civility among all races, King quoted Clinton a second time when he said, “It takes a village to raise a child,” adding, “Well, it takes a society to raise a society.”

 

I could tell you right now, us folks up here, we’re educated to a fault,” he said drawing echoes of approval from the mixed crowd. He added, “We’re strong, we’re bright, we’re beautiful, we’re educated, we’re smart, we’re bright, beautiful, we’re responsible, we deliver, we take care, we manage, we love!” He then asked, “But can we change hearts, because it’s about changing the heart of America?”

 

He continued, “At the end of the day, we all walk around with two arms, two eyes, two knees, two legs, and we breathe the same color,” he said. “At the end of the day, we want the best for our children, and if we all want the best for our children, we’ve got to all come together.”

 

For his part, Bragg urged those present to capitalize on the current moment in history. “It’s a movement that will create change,” he said, referring to Black Lives Matter, and adding that it was a necessary change. “People across the world are seeing America for what it is,” Bragg said, adding that Black people have always known America for what it is – “racism, bigotry, murder and brutality”.

 

He said that this was part of the Black life experience ever since Black people touched foot on the continent. “They have brutalized us and built systems that allow it to continue to happen,” he said, referring to structural and systemic racism. “What’s happening in Black communities, and what happened with George Floyd, and before George Floyd down through the years is only a linchpin for what’s been occurring in the country since its foundation,” he said.

 

“People aren’t only upset over Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. They’re upset with the knee that’s been in the neck of people of color since this country has begun,” he said. “They’re upset with the inequity that’s continuing to exist in this country, the economic inequity.”

 

Meanwhile, Adams warned against the gentrification of the Black Lives Matter movement, seemingly in reference to White, middle-class rioters who, among others, have been captured on video vandalizing businesses during the course of peaceful demonstrations. “We know what we need, and we don’t need other folks to come in to define it,” Adams said. “’Cause folks can come in and destroy our community, then they can shave, they can cut their hair, put on a suit, and then go and run their dad’s company somewhere while we’re still here.” He added, “Let’s be clear; you can march with us, behind us, but not in front of us”.

 

In fact, Adams questioned the reason for the seemingly, sudden White allegiance with the Black cause given Black people have been talking about the same injustices for centuries. He referenced various, high-profile cases of such injustices including the case of Eric Garner who was killed in 2014, Eleanor Bumpurs who was killed in 1984, and 10-year-old Clifford Glover who was killed in 1973. All were killed by police officers with impunity.

 

Adams then said the reason for the current White alliance was because President Donald Trump has traumatized White people. He said this, along with the negative economic impact of the pandemic has meant that many educated White people have lost their jobs recently, and that this has made them realize how it feels not to have a social safety net.

 

“This is not a new scenario [for the Black community] Adams said. “We’ve been going through this for so long, and finally, people are understanding what it’s like being Black in America.” On the gentrification of historically Black neighborhoods, Adams said the Black community should be able to live in the Cities that Black communities made possible, adding that quality education and a minimum wage should also be guaranteed to allow people to provide for their families.

 

He also highlighted the difficulties faced by Black communities in obtaining PPE, and in getting tested for COVID-19, saying hospitals had not been funded correctly, and criticized the practice of “locking up Black and brown people for not wearing a mask in the Bronx”, yet “giving a mask to people in Chelsea”.

 

Adams said despite the difficulties, he was proud of how the Black community responded and took care of one other during the shutdown by arranging food deliveries, when food was not being delivered to seniors fast enough in the initial stages of the pandemic. He then said, “Fresh Direct, you want to do business? You better deal direct with us.” Summing up the various social and racial injustices, Adams said, “There’s an intersectional generality around this entire conversation. Don’t allow them to separate the pieces. It is the same thing, the same fight.”

 

He then called on people to forge ahead and take the fight to the street, adding that the fight was not for pretty people but for those “who don’t mind getting a scar on their face,” those “who don’t mind getting a little dirty” and those who “don’t mind people calling them names, and talking about them and tweeting about them”.

 

“This is for folks who are ready to engage in some real fights,” he said. “And let me tell you something – leadership is not how many likes you have on Instagram. It’s not about sitting at home tweeting but it’s about getting out onto the streets, unafraid to be out there on the front line and doing the job expected of people.”

 

“That is what leadership is, he said. “And that’s the leadership we’re going to need to take this to the next level. That’s what this fight is about,” Adams said. “That’s why we’re out here saying, “Black Lives Matter”.

 

As the speakers rallied the crowd of about 30 people, they were met with spontaneous bursts of applause. King summed up his speech by appealing to his fellow elected officials.

 

“If you are an elected leader, you don’t have the choice of being silent when someone is being ostracized, castrated, and just beat down because of the color of their skin,” he said. “I told you what it means to be Black in America,” he said. “If you are a Black elected official, and you see oppression going on, you must speak up and speak out. If you do not, you’re nothing but a spokesperson for oppression.”

 

In October 2019, it was reported that King was temporarily suspended from the City Council amid an 48-page report by the City Council Committee on Standards and Ethics that allegedly found evidence that he had allegedly violated New York City’s anti-harassment policy and had allegedly used Council funds to plan a retreat in the Virgin Islands at the same time as the wedding of his wife’s daughter.

 

A further reported investigation was launched in February 2020 into alleged conflict of interest violations, disorderly conduct, breaking city and possibly state laws and running afoul of the Council’s anti-discrimination and harassment policies.

 

*Miriam Quinones contributed reporting to this story.