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President Barack Obama’s “beer summit” with James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates brought a rare opportunity for the nation to focus on the relationship between the police and the Black community. Still, most Black victims of the police are not Harvard professors with connections to the White House. Often times tensions with the police and innocent African Americans do not result in disorderly conduct arrests, but in injury, embarrassment or death. So, if Obama really wants to address the relationship between the Black community and the police, here are five more people he should bring to the White House for a beer.

1.    Rodney King

Rodney King became the face of police brutality during the early nineties and was the symbolic figurehead of the 92 riots in Los Angeles after he was beaten by police in L.A.. By bringing him to the White House, the President can showcase the negative, longstanding effects that police beatings can have on people and help give the nation an understanding of the still present tensions that led to Rodney King’s beating and the riots that followed.

Remembering The L.A. Riots

2. Nicole Bell

Nicole Bell had her fiancée and the father of her children, Sean Bell, killed the night before her wedding day in 2006 in Queens, New York. Police open fired on his vehicle, under the wrong assumption that someone in his car had a gun. Bringing her to the White House would show the country what happens to families when police go too far and show that the government feels some compassion to families who have lost loved ones due to police brutality.

Top 5 Worst NYPD Brutality Moments

3. Danny Reyes

In 1998, Danny Reyes and four friends were traveling to a basketball camp in North Carolina from New York, when police pulled them over on the New Jersey turnpike. Reyes accidentally put the car in reverse and the police open fired on the vehicle, shooting Reyes six times and ending his chances of playing basketball on a higher level. Despite the fact the officers were acquitted of all charges, the case brought forth an investigation into racial profiling on U.S. highways. Meeting with Reyes would show the country the devastating consequences that happen to innocent people, when racial profiling and trigger-happy police are combined.

4.   Malika Calhoun

Malika Calhoun was arrested for joy riding in her mother’s car in Seattle when she was 15. Once in a cell, she was viciously beaten by police officers. Having her at the White House would show that police brutality does not just affect men, but women and children as well, and highlight the need to teach police officers restraint.

Watch The Video of Malika Calhoun Getting Beat By Police

5.   Wanda Johnson.

Wanda Johnson’s son, Oscar Grant, was shot in the back, while lying on the floor at a train station by a transit cop in Oakland. The officer who killed him claimed he thought he was using a taser. Meeting with his mother would help remind the country that the U.S. does not support police brutality, but that it does support the victims of it. It would also show that the President understands the frustrations that resulted in the riots and protests that unfolded after Oscar Grant’s killing.

Watch The Video Of Oscar Grant Being Brutalized And Killed

Tags: Barack Obama, Oscar Grant, Police Brutality, Racial Profiling, Rodney King, White House
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  • http://www.blackplanet.com/cutiekim/ cutiekim

    Did any of this happen while Obama was president?? Come on now BP

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/gren1shaw2/ gren1shaw2

    There has been at least 10 victims that the news media won’t even mention on the news because police brutality against black do’nt matter to white newspeople and black news uncle toms that spend their time trying to get a pat on the head for being good girls and boys.they will never get their say because their black victims,worthless,who cares.they are punching bags for white cops that’s their purpose for being black.to bad obama’s team also sees cop violence against black people as non-important.God has to help black people or they’re dead and gone and buried.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MAJESTIK7/ MAJESTIK7

    Oscar Grant was murdered New Years. Blacks are getting beat and murdered by police everyday. And since when is there a statute of limitations on addressing evils.

    But Obama is a black bourgesie negro and he supported his black bourgesie negro ally, Skip Gates. Obama don’t give a damn about the masses of Blacks out here. All he does when he does address us directly is put us down. He feels our problems are our fault.

    He is an elitist house negro. He works for the oppressor. He was the African during chattel slavery that when master got sick he said, “massa is WE sick?” instead of praying that master a$$ die. He is carrying on the Bush policies. He does not want to prosecute them for their crimes. He says to not dwell on the past but look towards the future.

    WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE! Obama is not down for us. The only thing that can help us is ourselves.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/ROCKSTYLEZ/ ROCKSTYLEZ

    This is a touchy subject because, there isn’t really a peaceful end to this subject for the victims. Even though the incidents didn’t happen while Obama was in office, being in his position, he could bring attention and closure to alot of cases. I have been a victim of police brutality, through false accusations and no matter how my life goes on, I still remember being beat by officers I was trying to assist on the false accusation. Now the permanent scars are a constant reminder, it could have been a whole lot worse, but I’m still alive-Thank God!

  • http://newsone.com/nation/gates-says-hed-do-the-exactly-the-same-thing/ Gates Says He’d Do The Exactly The Same Thing | NewsOne

    [...] OPINION: 5 Other Police Victims Obama Should Drink With At The White House [...]

  • http://newsone.com/nation/police-honor-cop-who-arrested-gates-in-la/ Police Honor Cop Who Arrested Gates | NewsOne

    [...] OPINION: 5 Other Police Victims Obama Should Drink With At The White House [...]

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/nlrsidestar/ nlrsidestar

    PLEASE NOT JUSTICE WILL BE HAD FOR THESE BLACK PEOPLE……………..WE HAVE TO GET JUSTICE BY MAKING S**T EVEN………THESE WHITE PIECES OF DOOKIE ARE NEVER GOING TO CHANGE AND YOU KNOW THAT AND I KNOW THAT……RACIST ARE IN YOU POLICE STATIONS, SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, BANKS THEY ARE EVERY WHERE AND NOT ONLY THAT THEY ARE ASSIMILATED AS WE AS BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD BE AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE EVEYONE IS PROTECTING THEIR RACE BUT US, HISPANICS, WHITES, CHINESE, WE HAVE TO START PROTECTING AND BUILDING OUR RACE HERE SO WE ARE GUARANTEED A FUTURE ON THIS EARTH JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS……….NOW.

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/bluejay1980/ bluejay1980

    I am cannot for the life of me to see why a public servant is given so much power to arrest based on his judgement to humiliate it’s citisen who is paying his salary. Where is the judgement to step back and see such situation with a broader implication. He is trained. Therefore on the officer’s part no excuse. I would go nuts if I lost my keys and then is apporached by someone to produce ID and then they proceed to tell me what rights I have…It is in my home. I worked hard and paid for it. Therefore to arrest me in my home? I would no longer feel safe. Doing his job? If he was then no arrest would have been made and the matter settled in a different way. We fail to see how some of these officers feel insecured or
    marely on a power trip when it’s citizen lash out on them for whatever reason. It does not give the right to push back and use some flimzy excuse as doing their job. They are paid to have such extra skin and to bring things to a win win situation and not abuse their authority and it’s citizens. You do, you become the outsiders and secret socity you now are.
    No different from organized crime or gang. Some of these officers forget quickly their place and purpose in society. You cannot abuse the people you are protecting. It is not by any means necessary, you are paid to be transparent and to uphold and protect us not abuse when we cross your line.

    You officers are not trust because you forget how to be humble, polite and to stand down and only use force when in emminent danger. The judgement call on the professor sucks for many reasons. I know what he may have uttered got to you but you can’t find reason to physically mishandle our citizens. It is dead wrong…

    You want to be respected then show alternatives over sperning and stirring anger in others. You are paid to find solutions and calming and keeping the peace. Not to tear down and disgrace. You pack of wolves seem to have lost your way…All that training how to deal with people boils down to arresting, putting them in handcuffs, securing your right for doing your job…How smart….

    Can you imagine a security guard manhandling you if you come on his turf ?
    Think about that…
    As for the ratical overtone….We feel more than others because of our history…Therefore having other blacks talk for you does not solve the problem nor does it appear you are doing a good job of doing your job.

    You come back to the community rather than this hightened rouge mentality you will find we the citizens are less threatening than the issues you face inside of you… You just can’t equate an educated person over a skilled worker. Two different society and these officers need to understand that. Stand down….

  • http://www.blackplanet.com/MrBell2u/ MrBell2u

    That is not Rodney King in the photo, that is a man who righteously got whipped after fleeing from police in a stolen car, my opinion he got what he had coming. There is a whole lot of unfairness in America’s so called justice system, that’s what we should be fighting against, not for dumb ass criminals who broke the law in the first place. Our own people kill more Blacks everyday in America than the police do, so where is the outcry about that ? As far as the cop goes both he and Mr Gates mad some bad choices.

  • http://newsone.com/nation/casey-gane-mccalla/lapd-chief-during-1992-l-a-riots-dies-at-83/ LAPD Chief During 1992 L.A. Riots Dies At 83 | News One

    [...] OPINION: 5 Other Police Victims Obama Should Drink With At The White [...]

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