Renowned minister who led Civil Rights marches opposed Bratton appointment
[Op-Ed: Open Letter To Mayor Elect]
William de Blasio,
Mayor Elect of the City of New York
1 Centre Street
New York, New York 10007
Dec. 28, 2013
Dear Mayor Elect William de Blasio,
Your election to the office of Mayor this year gave me hope that we could look for changes for the good in New York City. But your appointment of William Bratton as Police Commissioner destroyed that hope. Bratton is the national champion of “stop and frisk”. This means that our Black youth will still be subject to the racist tactics used by Commissioner Kelly for so many years.
In your election bid you courted the Black vote by making ample use of your beautiful son’s afro. And you won big with the solid support of the Black community. But little did we realize that you had up your sleeve the appointment of William Bratton to the position of Police Commissioner. He is a man who has perfected the system of stop and frisk both in New York City and in Los Angeles. And that practice will continue to send countless thousands of our young Black youths to prison to serve as slaves in the New York State slave prison system. As he did in Los Angeles, Bratton will find enough support among blacks to smooth over the damage that he intends to do to our youth.
You have deceived the Black voters of New York City, and let me assure you that after you leave office, you will not be a beloved Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, but you will be seen as a man who continues to damage our Black youth and the Black community with the tactics of stop and frisk.
Yours for justice and harmony in New York City,
Rev. C. Herbert Oliver is a renowned minister
who led Civil Rights marches in 1960s in the South
