Sixteen years ago today on August 25, 1995, Ricky Andres, Michael WIlliams, Lal Knight, Wayne Byrd & I decided to go see the hip-hop documentary The Show in the Marina Del Rey area of Los Angeles.
We were met by the Community Resource Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department made infamous by the Rampart Scandal and by the film Training Day and the TV show The Shield.
Watch the following documentary and see what happened.
A Night At The Marina (828 Entertainment) from Sickly Cat NetworkWatch the following documentary and see what happened.
wow, im saddened that this happened but i am far from shocked. Even 16 years later, this type of violence is still happening to young black men.It’s difficult to have respect for the Police department when things like this is happening. Its even more maddening to see the copswho were clearly in the wrong, get away with being ignorant and reckless. Im glad you all survived and grew up to be mature,educated and successful men. My prayers are with you and for all individuals who are being wronged by the police in every city.
The film, “A Night At The Marina”, solidified in my mind something that I had suspected could happen but hoped never would. There is a preconceived notion about black males in this country that has it’s roots in slavery and Jim Crow. It is a collective fear and hatred that is hidden in the unspoken thoughts of the larger society in America. It says we are criminals, murderers, rapists, and sinners. But in truth black males are still America’s whipping boys. The police are simply an arm to the powers controlling our society and it has a decidedly heavy hand when dealing with black males, however innocent. My hope is that soon America will take an honest look at how we treat our innocents and turn them into the violent criminals of the future. My prayers are for the makers of the film and for the survival of the right-minded black men who come after them.