Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony Urges Support of Bills Aimed at Protecting Black Residents
By Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony
The NAACP of Detroit thanks Senator Stephanie Chang, Chair of this Education Reform and Justice Committee, along with other state legislators and committee members who have worked hard to bring this package of bills protecting the people in the state of Michigan.
Law enforcement agencies stepping up and stepping out to bring this package to the people are to be commended. It is the people of Michigan that we must always keep as our guidepost in making laws and establishing standards guaranteeing the protection of every Michigander. These bills are not just bills. They are really recipes. Baked into the mainstream of the state of Michigan, they will help to provide the substance necessary to fulfill the hunger for accountability, responsibility, and opportunities for both law enforcement and those who are to be respected without any malicious intent.
While these bills are not perfect, they go a long way in providing a more just and transparent response to key issues. Training, intervention, responding to complaints, use of force, no knock policies, and use of body cameras are just a few key areas which will be impacted. From the death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis, to the death of Breonna Taylor as she lay asleep in her bed in Louisville, or the crushing death of Samuel Sterling in Grand Rapids, and countless others, the need for such legislation is great!
This is not the time to take a break. The Michigan legislature should work to break the stranglehold on Black children serving life sentences as juveniles. Representative Stephanie Young has brought forth the Juvenile Lifers Bill. Tragically, African American children are 16% of Michigan’s population yet 70% of those currently serving life sentences without parole. 28 states have banned sentencing children to life without parole. Why should Michigan be among those who have not? We must provide a pathway for a better life in the community as opposed to a roadway to a better criminal living in a state-held facility.
It was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who reminded us, “It may be true that morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, religion and education will have to do that, but it can restrain him from lynching me.”
These bills will help to restrain and ensure that those encountering our criminal justice system will be treated in a manner consistent with the law. Michigan can now join other states from Louisiana to Minnesota in setting the example for police and community cooperation and respect for the rights of both police officers, private citizens, and of course our children.
We believe that SB 1091-1101, SB 119-123, and HB 4161-4164 will provide the pathway to bring the right standards and procedures to create stability and security for everyone regardless of race, location, gender, occupation, or education.
Let us do more in this year 2024 to keep police officers, private citizens, and precious children alive in 2025. We at the NAACP Detroit Branch, the largest branch in the nation, urge you to pass these bills on public safety, community trust, and preserving the life of our children without any further delay. The time is now. The need is great. The cause is just.
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