Legislatively Speaking
By Senator, Lena C. Taylor
Our Nation’s Struggle to Get it Right
Lena C. Taylor
On the one year anniversary of the death of Dontre Hamilton, our nation is once again grappling with the questionable death of an African-American man at the hands of law enforcement. Since that fateful April 30, 2014 in Milwaukee, several similar deaths have galvanized the country.
Names like New York’s Eric Garner, Cleveland’s Tamir Rice, South Carolina’s Walter Scott and now Baltimore’s Freddie Gray are eternally linked to Dontre Hamilton. Tamir, just twelve years old, was shot in less than two seconds, upon law enforcement arriving on the scene.
Eric was choked to death. Walter was shot eight times in his back. While we wait for more information on what resulted in Freddie’s spine being nearly broken in half, we know that these are not isolated incidents. While protests around the nation swell, we must address this epidemic now. Dr. King, in his 1964 book entitled, “Why We Can’t Wait” said it best, “Just as lightning makes no sound until it strikes, the Negro Revolution generated quietly.
But when it struck, the revealing flash of its power and the impact of its sincerity and fervor displayed a force of a frightening intensity.
Three hundred years of humiliation, abuse, and deprivation cannot be expected to find voice in a whisper. […] Because there is more to come; because American society is bewildered by the spectacle of the Negro in revolt; because the dimensions are vast and the implications deep in a nation with twenty million Negroes, it is important to understand the history that is being made today.”
In Wisconsin, we are all too familiar with occurrences, statistics and research that point to disparate treatment in policing, charging decisions and sentencing of African- Americans.
Through work in the legislature, colleagues and I have worked to create laws that ensure competent and consistent treatment for everyone involved in our justice system.
We have seen some successes, although not nearly enough.
Wisconsin made history last legislative session when we enacted the first state law in the nation requiring an independent investigation in the event of such a tragedy.
The bipartisan effort eliminated the long-held tradition of local police departments investigating their own officers involved in situations that come under review.
And while this is an important tool, we need more. As the streets of Baltimore burned in the dark of night, in response to the death of Mr. Gray, the light of day must be met with a commitment to do things differently.
Many have asked questions like “What do we do now?” or “Where do we go from here?” Ironically, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked the same question in a speech bearing that name in 1967.
Much like our predecessors in the fight for civil rights, we too have marched, some have rioted, we have cried and we have prayed.
If we are to change this continued trajectory of the loss of life of unarmed citizens at the hand of law enforcement, we must act now.
People from all walks of life and all levels of government are calling for a comprehensive response.
While addressing an audience at Columbia University, 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton, echoed those sentiments.
“We all share responsibility to help research the fabric of our neighborhoods and communities.
We also have to be honest about the gaps that exist across our country,….You cannot talk about smart policing and reforming the criminal justice system if you don’t also talk about what is needed to provide economic opportunity, better educational chances for young people, more support to families to do the best job they are capable of doing to support their own children” said Clinton.
As we look to address those gaps, many of us understand the need for holistic and collaborative resources that will move our communities forward.
Over the last several months, I have been working with key community partners and area stakeholders to create the Sustainable Milwaukee Initiative.
We are working to remove critical family services from narrowly defined silos.
Families should be afforded an ability to access the majority of resources that they need in one area. In achieving this goal, our community should be left with a connected and comprehensive set of family strengthening systems.
However, even when all the elements of the initiative are in place it won’t replace the need for a fair justice system.
Many African-Americans know all too well, that regardless of their education, economic status, title or position, they could still be subject to disparate treatment.
As we work towards restoring peace and finding solutions within the community, we need an honest commitment from leadership, at every level, to create accountable systems that respect and protect the rights of all.