NAACP New Bedford

Police

CFJJ Report and video now available

On Wednesday night Citizens for Juvenile Justice unveiled its report on five thousand New Bedford Police Department interactions over five years. CFJJ's report documented extremely disproportionate rates of stops and surveillance on Black residents and revealed New Bedford Police Department's arbitrary and opaque criteria for adding youth to its gang database. The presentation by CFJJ's Joshua Dankoff outlined 8 main findings: (1) a decade after the Malcolm Gracia killing, the NBPD still has only a vague policy on field interrogations; (2) police interactions are focused on poor non-white communities; (3) Blacks and Hispanics are significantly over-policed; (4) 10 officers account...

A man was lynched yesterday

Statement on the killing of Daunte Wright From 1920 to 1938 a flag was flown outside the NAACP’s national office in New York whenever a black man was lynched. It read simply, “A man was lynched yesterday.” Some may like to imagine that we have made progress on America’s long road to racial justice, but lynchings by white mobs have only been replaced by unabated police killings, which invariably happen in the course of subduing Black and brown communities. On Sunday, just outside Minneapolis, while Derek Chauvin is still awaiting justice for the depraved murder of George Floyd, another man...

REMINDER: Racial Profiling and Policing of Youth in New Bedford

A Community Conversation Wednesday, April 14th 5:30pm - 7:00 pm Register Here bit.ly/wearetheprey The YWCA together with numerous co-sponsors listed below are pleased to host a community conversation where Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CFJJ) will launch its report, "We Are the Prey: Racial Profiling and Policing of Youth in New Bedford." Analyzing New Bedford Police Department data, the report documents how the NBPD targets young people of color in lower-income neighborhoods in a white-majority city. The report contains recommendations from CFJJ and from New Bedford youth to reform policing in the city, including in the areas of racial profiling, gang...

In case you missed: Guns, Safety and the Edge of Adulthood

If you missed “Guns, Safety and the Edge of Adulthood,” a Youth Justice Forum cohosted with Citizens for Juvenile Justice, featuring researchers from Center for Court Innovation, and panelists from Boston Public Health Commission, Legendary Legacies Inc., New North Citizens' Council, and others — you still have a chance to view the video and presentation. CFJJ has posted a link to the program, slides used, and their recommendation for legislative priorities. You can also view a recording of the forum on Facebook: if you would like to have further conversations or programs on this topic, please reach out to the...

Community Educational Forum on the Eviction and Housing Crisis in Southeastern MA

Community Educational Forum on the Eviction and Housing Crisis in Southeastern MA Tuesday, April 13th 6:30pm-8:30pm RSVP by calling or texting Diana at diana@coalitionforsocialjustice.org or 208-232-5942. Since January there have been more than 730 evictions initiated in Southeastern MA. The Coalition for Social Justice has been reaching out to people and here are just a couple of stories: One woman had started the RAFT application process but her landlord has refused to participate. After first saying he would accept the RAFT program, he then refused to produce documents to complete her application. The tenant had been living in the same...

New Bedford NAACP Urges Faster Action on Covid-19 Vaccination

[caption id="attachment_1755" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] COVID-19 vaccination (2020) by U.S. Secretary of Defense, CC by 2.0 [/caption] Calls 600 doses per week for area "woefully inadequate'; Urges better outreach in communities of color NEW BEDFORD -- In a statement released today, The New Bedford Branch of the NAACP is calling on elected officials and area residents to accelerate efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. New Bedford continues to report among the highest total number of infected individuals in the Commonwealth, at over 12,000 each. Yet, the number of vaccines arriving in our city is woefully inadequate: only...

An Act Effectuating Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination

SD.699 / HD.1283 Sponsors: Sens. Becca Rausch & Sonia Chang-Díaz and Reps. Liz Miranda & Mindy Domb Black and Latinx residents of Massachusetts have so far received the COVID-19 vaccination at far lower rates than the overall population, even as the virus has taken a disproportionate toll on their communities. An Act Effectuating Equity in COVID-19 Vaccination aims to close those gaps and reach vaccine parity through: Appointing an Equity & Outreach Director Require Governor Baker to immediately appoint a director of COVID-19 vaccination equity and outreach whose sole focus will be addressing disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates rooted in...

General Body Meeting April 15 at 7pm

General Body Meeting April 15th at 7pm https://umassd.zoom.us/j/99120335283?pwd=YTdlWUZpc0l5WTcvZytDTkVZSmEwQT09 Meeting ID: 991 2033 5283 Passcode: 1909 One tap mobile +13017158592,,99120335283#,,,,*1909# US (Washington DC) +13126266799,,99120335283#,,,,*1909# US (Chicago) Dial by your location +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 646 876 9923 US (New York) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 991 2033 5283 Passcode: 1909 Find your local number: https://umassd.zoom.us/u/abkphno4uw

COVID-19 Survey

We received this notice from Angela Navarro, who is working under the supervision of Andrea Klimt at UMASS Dartmouth’s Department of Health & Society. The department is trying to track who has been receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as understanding the fears, concerns and obstacles preventing New Bedford residents from receiving the vaccine. This information will be shared with Health Departments, community leaders engaged in outreach, and will also be made available to the public. Please take the time to respond to this brief survey in the language of your choice. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Please feel free...

School Resource Officers MOU Commission meets TOMORROW

Please forgive the last-minute notice. We just found out about this. The first meeting of the School Resource Officers MOU Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24th at 9am to 11am. The zoom link and agenda can be found here. The meeting is open to the public. Pursuant to the provisions of G.L. c. 30A and 940 CMR 29.00 et seq, notice is hereby given of a meeting of the School Resource Officers MOU Commission to take place on March 24, 2021, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. virtually at zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81074760083?pwd=Z1BnU29GVkc4U2x4UGtSZDVaSDVpZz09 What's at Stake? While we all celebrated that...