The Oscar Grant Case

Is racism dead in America? The election of Barack Obama is an historic achievement and a blow against bigotry--and yet, young people of color are gunned down by cops in America at an alarming rate. Here in the Bay Area, we just witnessed a horrific example with the murder of Oscar Grant by the BART police. Though the incident may have been swept under the rug if not for multiple videos showing the cold-blooded act, it has touched a nerve for thousands of people across the Bay Area--of all races--and led to the formation of a coalition to battle police brutality and bring the guilty officer to justice.

The cop who shot Oscar is now in custody, but only because of the tremendous response from the community. Now, the goal is to not only see him in jail--no moving the case out of Oakland, no acquittal, no deal--but also to get to the root of the problem and stop such tragedies before they happen again.

Why are the cops like this? Is it something about them or about their role in our society?

How do you compare the violence of the police against the anger of demonstrators who smashed windows out of anger?

With a new president and new opportunities for organizing, what kind of movement will it take to bring a measure of justice to Oscar Grant and get killer cops off the streets?

Thursday, January 22nd at 7:00 pm
UC Berkeley
240 Mulford Hall
Hearst @ Oxford
Berkeley, CA

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