Video

Did you know that New York City students are being criminalized for being late to school?  This process takes place when the NYPD sets up checkpoints at subway exits that are in close proximity to public schools.  They stop the students and ask them a series of personal questions and record that information.  This video took place in Harlem, NY at the 135th street station. 

Below are a few questions we had and posed in the video.  Let us know what your thoughts and feelings are on this NYPD practice.  Share your thoughts in the comments section or twitter #schooltoprisonpipeline.

Why are cops stopping students on their way to school when in all public schools there is an officer at the front desk?

This stop took about 10 minutes. Doesn't this practice make students later for school?

Could these stops deter students  from attending on days that they are running late?

What is being done with the information collected by the NYPD?

How do parents feel about their children being stopped and questioned without their consent?

Are these students commuting by train because there isn't a good school in their neighborhood?

One of the most disturbing parts of this video is that the students appear unfazed. These police abuses have become Normalized. But this is not normal!

If young suburban students were stopped by police on their way to school you would likely see fear and tears in their eyes. Followed up by outrage from parents and the school board.

Don't Tread On Me - Video

Video

All Things Harlem received this video last night of an apparent arrest in Crown Heights Brooklyn. If you pay close attention to the 00.17 second mark you will notice the officers on top of the man punch him the back of the headhttp://www.allthingsharlem.com/.

Here is the description from the person who filmed the arrest.

This is a video taken from an apartment window that shows the tail end of some serious police brutality. The beating takes place in an alleyway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, between Union St. and President St, near Albany Ave. The incident occurred at about 1pm on 12/19/12. If you have any information about the person in this video, or are the person who was beaten and want to make some sort of civil claim contact or youtube channel 801angelicupstart. 

Or you can contact us directly at info@allthingsharlem.com

NY Collective of Activists Against Judicial Injustice 

BRO. SHEP ASSISTING HURRICANE “SANDY” VICTIMS IN RED HOOK HOUSING PROJECTS

>>>SAVE THE DATE!<<< 

★ ★ ★  PACK THE COURT!★ ★ ★  

 Brother Shep’s (Shepard P. McDaniel) 

Court Appearance 

 Thursday, November 15, 2012 – 9:00 AM 

 The Bronx County Hall of Justice 

(The "new" Court House across the street from the shopping mall) 

265 East 161st Street 

Part TAP1 Lower Level 

CASE BACKGROUND

During this past Spring's "Bogus Weapons Case" against Bro. Shaka Shakur; "Original" Black  Panther Party Veteran and longtime community activist Sadiki "Shep" Ojore Olugbala was identified  as a leader, politically targeted and unjustly arrested inside of the Bronx Criminal Court house for his  experienced supervision in the orderly departure of both Bro. Shaka's attorney and his many  supporters from the courtroom. This arrest was made at the same time that several other court  officers were engaged in a heated discussion with Bro. Shaka’s noted activist attorney Michael "Tarif"  Warren in regards his objection of the court officers overall disrespect towards those people who had  come to the trial in support of Bro. Shaka. Unfortunately, despite yet another court victory by the  people The State has decided to still make an example of Bro. Shep in order to have him imprisoned  and; To continue its current city-wide court campaign to "intimidate & curtail" the growing peoples  movement to "Pack The Court House" in support of both organizers and/or the victims of Police  Terror by the NYPD. Finally, in addition to the criminal charges in Bro. Shep's case, is the very real  question of whether or not the people can actually receive a fair and unbiased trial when both the  arresting NYS Court Officers and the presiding NYS Court Judges personally know, socialize and  work with each other on a regular basis. This legal contradiction, as well as the aforementioned City-  Wide Court Campaign to violate our 1st Amendment Constitutional Rights both inside & outside the  courthouse, will be addressed during this trial as well.  

SIGN PETITION

Video

ABC, Chan. 7, “HERE AND NOW” – Sun. Nov. 4, 2012

Sandra Bookman talks with Joseph Jazz Hayden, the founder of AllThingsHarlem.com. The website has been documenting some of the stop-and-frisk policy cases against the NYPD -- including Hayden's own case. They will be joined by Hayden's attorney, Gideon Oliver, and Noel Leader, the co-founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care.

Pack the Court for Jazz Hayden

**THIS THURSDAY**October 11, 8:30am, 100 Centre St - RALLY & PACK THE COURT

Keep Jazz Hayden Free! 

We must stand together and stop the criminal "justice" system, NYPD and DA from putting Jazz behind bars for 14 yeas for his courageous activism against Stop & Frisk, police brutality and the New Jim Crow! Film the Police! No Justice, No Peace! 

Bring a poster and bring friends.  This is an urgent week in the campaign to keep Jazz Free! Despite over 2,000 of us raising our voices, and despite the obviously retaliatory nature of the charges, Jazz is still facing a court date this Thursday, October 11th, that threatens his freedom.  Jazz is a 71-year old grandfather and community activist, unflinchingly devoted to defending the people of Harlem and New York from the racist police humiliation and brutality communities of color experience on a daily basis. The NYPD and the courts are using bogus weapons charges to try to silence his cop watch activities and send a chilling message to the rest of us. Jazz is facing a possible 14 years in prison.   TURN OUT ON OCTOBER 11!! We need to send a strong message to the DA and everyone who enters the courthouse: WE STAND BY JAZZ HAYDEN! 

Sign Jazz’s petition and learn more about his case at www.freejazzhayden.wordpress.com 

Watch Jazz's Video Coverage of Michelle Alexander, Angela Davis, Cornel West, Mumia's call-in, Jazz himself, & more speaking at Riverside Church, Fri., Sept. 14,  http://www.allthingsharlem.com/all-things-harlem/2012/9/17/end-mass-incarceration-event-at-riverside-church.html 

Minister Farrakhan, of the Nation of Islam, did a tour of New York City.  He addressed the loss of "community" in Harlem.  He spoke of a time when the residents of Harlem didn't lock their doors and how that has changed to a community where we fear one another.  Filmed by Jazz Hayden.

Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson has been facing community criticism over a perceived flip flop on the issue of stop and frisk.  The video below from Occupy the Bronx shows that criticism spilling over at a rally in the Bronx held in support of Reynaldo Cuevas and his family.  Reynaldo Cuevas was recently shot and killed by the NYPD.  Cuevas was inside the Bodega he worked in when it was being robbed and when he ran out for safety an NYPD officer shot and killed him thinking he was one of the perpetrators.  Full Coverage at Occupy the Bronx.

Occupy The Bronx wrote, "Reynaldo Cuevas Relatives, Friends, Community Members and Event Organizers fed up with the political shenanigans politician's play especially when relating to the practices upon communities of color by the NYPD refused the presence of Assemblyman Eric Stevenson who arrived at the event uninvited with media support and afew ex-cops turned community activists geared up to grab mainstream media spot light."

Days after his conflict with the community members took place, Assemblyman Stevenson sat down with Jazz Hayden of allthingsharlem.com to clarify his view on Stop & Frisk and where he stands.  Let us know what you think of his response and this issue as a whole.   

Delivery of over 2,000 petitions and letters telling DA Cyrus Vance to drop the charges against Jazz Hayden.
 

EMERGENCY! Jazz Hayden's Freedom is On the Line

Two Urgent Actions to Keep Jazz Free:

THURSDAY: GRAND JURY PROCEEDINGS TO INDICT JAZZ!

Thursday, September 13th, 8:30 am -1 Hogan Place

(near Centre and Worth Streets, around the corner from courthouse at 100 Centre Street; Trains: 4/5/6/N/R to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall; Q to Canal; A/C/J/Z to Chambers)

Join us at the press conference & rally
 
And earlier in the week...

    TUESDAY: CALL-IN DAY TO KEEP JAZZ FREE!

    Tuesday, September11th

    Call Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance's office: Attorney William Darrow, tel. 212-335-9192

    Tell Darrow to Drop the Charges Against Jazz Hayden! We want to keep Jazz Free!

This is an urgent week in the campaign to keep Jazz free! Despite over 2,000 of us raising our voices, and despite the obviously retaliatory nature of the charges, District Attorney Cyrus Vance has re-affirmed he intends to pursue an indictment at the Grand Jury hearing this Thursday.

Jazz is a 71-year old grandfather and community activist, unflinchingly devoted to defending the people of Harlem and New York from the racist police humiliation and brutality communities of color experience on a daily basis. The NYPD and the courts are using bogus weapons charges to try to silence his cop watch activities and send a chilling message to the rest of us. Jazz is facing a possible 14 years in prison.  

TURN OUT ON SEPTEMBER 13!! We need to send a strong message to jurors and the prosecutors as they enter the courthouse: WE STAND BY JAZZ HAYDEN!

CALL THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ON SEPTEMBER 11!! Take just two minutes on Tuesday to flood their phone lines with one clear message: drop the trumped-up charges against Jazz Hayden! Call Attorney William Darrow at 212-335-9192 and tell him to stop persecuting Jazz for his community service!

Sign Jazz's petition and learn more about his case at www.freejazzhayden.wordpress.com

           Shaka Shakur - community activist and member of, The People's Survival Program, speaks to the crowd of supporters and the NYPD outside of the 32nd precinct in Harlem.  He emphasizes the importance of using a the video camera as a weapon against police abuse in our community.               

Our youth are turning to law enforcement because it offers them the best job opportunity, not because of a desire to serve the people. One student even told me that he "hates" the police but he doesn't see an alternative.

Click to read more ...

We have gotten to know "Nycresistance" from his work videoing police incidents in our communities over the past few years.  If you haven't had the chance to view any of his work you need to take a look.  He is a true fighter for justice and truth and All Things Harlem commends him to the utmost.  His work further reveals the depth of the misconduct, harassment and human rights abuses of the NYPD carries out in communities of color.

Make sure to check his great videos on his youtube channel or his blog.

View more select videos here.

Alexis Sumpter 15-years-old (PHOTO from NY DAILY NEWS)

An over-aggressive NYPD strikes again, this time harrassing and handcuffing Alexis Sumpter a 15-year-old Harlem girl.  The NYPD assumed that Sumpter was too old to be using the student metrocard she used to enter the subway.  Alexis explained to the officers that she was only 15 but since she didn't have her ID on her the officers roughly brought her upstairs and handcuffed her.  After the brutality things were cleared up and Alexis was not arrested or given a summons. 

Video of Alexis describing the incident.

Coverage on NY1

Jazz Speaks to NY1's Natasha Ghoneim outside Manhattan Criminal Court

Jazz Hayden along with a large group of supporters packed Manhattan Criminal Courthouse inside and out on the morning of July 31, 2012.  They were there demanding that District Attorney Cyrus Vance drop the charges against Jazz Hayden.  The charges against Jazz are seen to be retaliation for his filming and scrutiny of police activities in the Harlem community.  

The Judge set another date for Jazz's case on October 11, 2012 in anticipation of a grand jury indictment.  The grand jury will be convened sometime during September (TBA).  The supporters plan to mobilize around both events of these dates.    

To keep up with Jazz's case or get involved go to
www.freejazzhayden.wordpress.com

also

Sign the petition

David Galarza speaks to the importance of filming police activities in our communities to show the truth in whats going on.  He describes a recent video he shot of an NYPD officer fondling and body slamming a young teenager.  He tells of how the news reported it as a good job by the officer while his video tells a different story.  

While David is speaking you will notice that one of the court officers behind him is filming him and the group of supporters.  Why? And what will they do with this tape we don't know.

Click to read more ...

Allthingsharlem.com's footage was used in this piece at around 1:45 minutes in. 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mellisa Harris-Perry hosted this episode of the Rachel Maddow show. She discussed San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee's decision to consider implementing the stop and frisk police tactic in his city.  Marquez Claxton, Former NYPD Detective and Director of the Black Law Enforcement Alliance was a guest on the show and describes the failure of the stop and frisk policy.

Ramarley Graham's family, along with community members, activists and supporters held the last vigil for Ramarley.   This was the 18th of weekly vigils held for Ramarley and represented his age at the time he was killed.  Months earlier Ramarley was shot and killed by NYPD officer Richard Haste in his own home.  Ramarley was unarmed.

The group marched through the neighborhood in the Bronx before descending on the 47th Precinct.  There Student Minister Abdul Hafeez Muhammad of Mosque No. 7 addressed the crowd.  

Soon after the group left the 47th Precinct and headed to a local church to hear from more speakers including, The Reverend Al Sharpton, Councilman Jumaane Williams and New York City Comptroller John Liu.  

Support Jazz Hayden!

Support Joseph “Jazz” Hayden as his next court appearance on July 31, 2012 in Part F at 100 Centre Street in Manhattan. We will be gathering outside the courthouse at 8:30 am.

Photograph by Lyric Cabral, The Village Voice

Dear Friends, Allies and Supporters,

As you may already know, I have a pending case in Manhattan Criminal Court resulting from a bogus stop & frisk by the NYPD from December, 2011.  I can unequivocally state that this stop and arrest was in retaliation for my work as a Citizen Reporter aggressively covering police/community relationships in the Harlem community.  (To review my body of work you need only go to my web site, www.allthingsharlem.com/copwatch to view four years of coverage of police community relations in Harlem.)

My work on this issue is well known and has been covered by many news organizations, including The New York Times, the Village Voice, the Amsterdam News, the Economist,  NY1, Channel 7, Democracy Now, Eyewitness News, WPIX Channel 11, Gothamist, The Brooklyn Rail, The Nation, Newsone.com and the National in Abu Dhabi (Middle East).  The Harlem community is well aware of my work, and encourages and supports it.

As you are probably already aware, the racist practice of stop & frisk by the NYPD has gained national attention for its astronomical numbers of unwarranted stops, nearly 700,000 in 2011. Less than 6% of those stopped were charged with any crime or violation of the law.  The disproportionate impact on communities of color, specifically Blacks and Latinos (87%), has led to city-wide protest and condemnation in the local and national media.

For every action there is a reaction.  Because of my coverage of this racist and ineffective practice, I have been targeted for retaliation.  My right as a citizen to cover the police in public places, as they perform their duties (a right recently acknowledged by U.S. Attorney General Holder) has resulted in my being targeted by the 32nd precinct in Harlem.

I am currently facing felony charges – and potentially years in prison -  as a result of an unlawful stop and search of my car last December. In July of 2011, I filmed the same officers who later arrested me performing an unlawful car stop in Harlem. You can view that video here: 

During the video you can hear the officers talking to me and saying that they know who I am and know my background.  At minute 5:05 the officer can be heard saying, “You done selling drugs yet or what? I know your rap sheet.”  Then again around 5:55 the officer can be heard saying, “Go sell some more drugs sir.  We know your background, I know who you are.” The officers let the men in the car go without charges. But they had other plans for me.

In December of 2011, the very same officers stopped my car and conducted an illegal search.  They found a pocket knife and a mini replica baseball bat in the car, and charged me with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a felony punishable with two to seven years on prison. My stop and arrest was unequivocal retaliation for my surveillance of these officers and work in the community.

Today I need your help. Please contact Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance and demand that all charges against Joseph Hayden be dropped and that the NYPD be put on notice that citizens have a right to monitor their “servants” as they perform their duties without retaliation. The significance of these cases of retaliation for covering “our servants” extends beyond my case alone.  These actions by NYPD raise the larger issue of their role in communities of color, the rights of citizens to monitor law enforcement, and the rights/role of new media in covering the news.  What is happening to me has happened to hundreds of thousands of citizens in New York City.  Enough is enough!

Send your letter to:

Cyrus Vance
Manhattan District Attorney
One Hogan Place
New York, NY 10013

You can email him at vancec@dany.nyc.gov. Please cc me on your letter at jhayden512@aol.com.

A sample letter is included below.

If you can make it, please join me at my next court appearance on July 31, 2012 in Part F at 100 Centre Street in Manhattan. We will be gathering outside the courthouse at 8:30 am.

Thanks for your support.

Yours truly,

Joseph Jazz Hayden

Campaign to End the New Jim Crow

www.allthingsharlem.com

SAMPLE LETTER TO CYRUS VANCE

Cyrus Vance Manhattan District Attorney
One Hogan Place
New York, NY 10013

Dear District Attorney Vance,

[PLEASE MAKE INCLUDE YOUR NAME, YOUR JOB OR OTHER IMPORTANT AFFILIATION AND HOW YOU KNOW JAZZ]

I am writing today about an urgent matter, the case of Joseph Hayden. Your office has chosen to seek an indictment against him for two counts of Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. I believe that his arrest was a retaliatory act on the part of the police against one of their most outspoken critics, a long-time neighborhood cop watch activist and police reform advocate.

There is no doubt that Mr. Hayden has a lengthy criminal record. But he has put his past behind him and become an important community activist. He is a longtime member of The Riverside Church Prison Ministry and a founding member of the Ministry’s  Campaign to End The New Jim Crow, a group dedicated to combatting mass incarceration and building caring communities. And for the past four years, Mr. Hayden has videotaped police officers as they stop and frisk people in Harlem as part of a neighborhood copwatch program and posted these videos on his website, All Things Harlem.

Mr. Hayden was pulled over for a traffic stop in Harlem in December 2011. When the police approached his car, they made it plain that they recognized Mr. Hayden by statements such as “We know you.” The two officers who stopped him in December were the same officers filmed by Mr. Hayden several months earlier (view the video here: http://bit.ly/NjOZTN). After clearly acknowledging that they knew who he was, the officers unlawfully searched his car, finding a penknife and a small commemorative replica baseball bat. These items are the weapons for which he is now facing felony charges punishable by 2 to 7 years in prison.

During your campaign for District Attorney, you sat down with Mr. Hayden for an interview for his website. During that interview, Mr. Hayden asked you what you would do to stop racial bias and harassment of people of color by the NYPD. You told him that while you “can’t tell the police who to arrest or who not to arrest,” but as District Attorney you would like to assure that “when it comes to us, that we are not making charging decisions that are biased in any way.” You can view the video here: 

In light of your commitment to make unbiased charging decisions, I urge you to drop the charges against Mr. Hayden. Given Mr. Hayden’s prominent role in filming the police, it is clear that his arrest was retaliation for his community activities. I also urge you to take seriously the dangers of police practices that effectively silence citizens who dissent. United States Attorney General Eric Holder has affirmed the right to record police officers in the public performance of their duties. By allowing Mr. Hayden’s indictment to proceed, the Manhattan District Attorney casts a chilling effect on this right.

Thank you for your kind attention to this letter.

Sincerely

[NAME]
[ADDRESS]

you can also Sign The Petition

Click here to sign the Change.org petition asking District Attorney Cyrus Vance to Drop the Charges

When local activists Christina Gonzalez and Matthew Swaye arrived to attend their local 30th Precinct Community Board Meeting they were surprised to see a picture of their face hanging in the precinct labeling them as "professional agitators."

Click for full story

Voices from the Silent March to End Stop and Frisk in New York City on Father's Day, June 17, 2012. All Things Harlem spoke to a diverse group about the march and the NYPD's policy of stop and frisk.

Video From the Event

This video is of the diverse voices you wont see in mainstream media discussing the issue of stop and frisk and the NYPD in New York City.

Full Jeremy Scahill interview with Jazz.  Jeremy Scahill says that NYPD's policy of Stop and Frisk should be one of the premiere civil rights issues of the city. He also relates the issue to the global perspective and how our police have become militarized and resemble the oppressive regimes around the world that the United States criticizes.

Scahill's daughter a 5th grader successfully got her entire 5th grade class to sign a petition against stop and frisk. She says that her classmates as young as 12-years-old have been stopped and frisked while just hanging out with their friends.

Jeremy Scahill is national security correspondent for The Nation, and author of Blackwater.

Interview with John Liu.  John Liu is the Comptroller of New York City and the only potential Mayoral candidate currently calling for a complete end to stop & frisk, and not just a reform of the policy.

Arrests were made as the the Silent March to end stop and frisk wound down outside Mayor Bloomberg's home in New York City. As some of the remaining groups and people continued to protest and began changing their silence into noise, the massive presence of the NYPD formed up quickly in attempts to stamp out what remained of the march.

With orders coming over the phone from their bosses the chain of command took over and the NYPD management, (the guys in the suits on their phones) informed their captains (the guys in white shirts) to instruct their minions (the foot soldiers in blue) to begin to to clear 5th Avenue and push people onto the sidewalks and in between the barricades surrounding Mayor Bloomberg 's home. They did this by using their normal military apparatus of Motor Scooters, vans, batons, big orange netting, tons of zip tied handcuffs, police camera crew (TARU) etc.

With these tools they still relied on what they know best, brute force and intimidation along with a few arrests in hopes that this would disperse the crowd. In this situation they chose to arrest the biggest baddest most intimidating people of the group first - (young women).

All the while members of crowd chastised the police for their actions and challenged them to think about what they were doing and what they were supporting in their actions.

NYPD officer Richard Haste was indicted in the killing of Ramarley Graham and is being charged with manslaughter.  Haste is to turn himself in on Wednesday morning, June 13, 2012. 

ATH considers this to be only a small step in the right direction, but far from justice.  We are seeking a conviction of officer Haste.  We also believe that other members of the NYPD need to be held accountable.  What of the officers who falsely reported over the radio to Officer Haste that Ramarley had a gun?  How can they make this kind of accusation without knowing it for sure?  What of all the officers and commanding officers who were part of this "Street Narcotics Unit" that we saw on the scene in the surveillance footage outside Ramarley's Grahams house?  Who gave the call that it was ok to kick down his door to pursue him?  Is is standard police procedure to kick in peoples doors who are thought to have a gun?  Considering they had the entire house surrounded couldn't they have asked for Ramarley Graham to come out with his hands up?  These are just some of the questions that need to be asked.  Others are responsible for Ramarley's death, not solely officer Richard Haste. 

 Jose LaSalle, an organizer of the group Stop Stop-and-Frisk informed All Things Harlem that the Graham family would like for the court house in the Bronx to be full of Brothers and Sisters who believe this system isn't designed to protect those who commit crimes against the Human Family. Richard Haste will be at the court house on Jun 13, the court house is going to be full of police officers supporting the murderer Richard Haste. For all those who can make it, we ask you to be at the Bronx Criminal Court at 8:30 Am, there is going to be a conference outside and then we are going into court house to watch Richard Haste get indicted. Lets occupy the courts.

Location:  The Bronx Criminal Division is located at 215 East 161st Street, between Sherman & Sheridan Avenues.

Public Transportation:  Directions Take the C, D or 4 train to Yankee Stadium/161st Street Station. Take the BX 6 or BX 13 to East 161st Street & Sheridan Avenue; the BX 1 to East 161st Street & Grand Concourse.