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The Human Side of Stephon Clark

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The Human Side of Stephon Clark

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The death of Stephon Clark has been a national hot-button issue for the past month.

 

On March 18th 2018, two Sacramento police officers shot at Clark 20 times and killed him in his grandmother’s backyard.

 

Since then, protests have flooded Sacramento’s streets–stopping highway traffic and blocking access to the Golden One Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

 

On the night of the Kings vs Celtics game, both teams were seen openly showing solidarity with Clark’s family by wearing black t-shirts stating “Accountability, We Are One” on the front, referring to accountability for police officers and the district attorney, and “#Stephon Clarke” on the back.

 

The Rev. Al Sharpton flew in on March 29th to give the eulogy for Clark’s funeral at Bayside of South Sacramento Church in front of Clark’s family and loved ones–as well as camera crews and hundreds of thousands watching live.

 

“They have been killing black men all across the country,” Sharpton said, clutching Clark’s grieving brother, Stevante, to his chest. “It’s time to stop this madness.”

 

After nearly a month since his death, it seems as though everyone has an opinion on Stephon Clark’s death.

 

Some people assumed he was a thug and that he’d “deserved what he got”. Many sympathized with police, believing that the two armed officers, who’d never announced themselves as such, should be excused for their actions because of their fear. Others look to Clark as though he was a martyr, seeing his death as a way to push for reform social policies and police procedures.

 

But aside from that, Stephon Clark was a 22 year-old man with two young boys who will grow up without their father. The people who were closest to him are most affected by this tragedy and will never look at his picture and see him as a thug, or a martyr, or a statistic.

 

Patrick Durant, Vice Principal at Sacramento Charter High School, remembers Stephon from when he attended during his sophomore and junior years. Durant claimed he first heard of Clark because he was close to the daughter of a family friend and got to know him through conversations about college and sports. What Durant remembers most about Clark when he was alive was that he was a “very friendly kid with good manners and a great smile” and that he felt disturbed when he read text messages from community leaders sharing that Clark had been shot.

 

Clark’s former History teacher, Paul Schwinn, described Stephon as “bright” and “funny” when he was in his class.

 

“He got an A on every single test I gave him,” Schwinn said. “Every time he spoke in class he had the right answer and always explained history in a funny, accessible way. He was someone who made first period fun for me and his classmates.”

 

Overall, Durant knows that many of his students face challenging environments outside of school that staff simply can’t shield them from. “The more we can help to improve that environment, the less Stephon Clark stories we hopefully will have to endure,” Durant believes.

How “LA 92” Matters in Sacramento in 2018

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How “LA 92” Matters in Sacramento in 2018

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The verdicts of Rodney King’s trial and the Latasha Harlins murder trial turned Los Angeles on its head in the Spring of 1992. Five days of rioting that blocked streets, looted stores, and set fires to buildings killed 63 people, injured 2,383 and led to the arrest of 12,11. This is the subject matter of a powerful documentary now streaming on Netflix titled “LA 92”.

Citizens of LA were outraged when a video filmed by a witness was released to the media showing four LAPD officers brutally beating King with batons, kicking, and tasing him for several minutes while King lay on the ground.

After a three month trial, an all-white jury found the four defendants not guilty.

Tensions rose even higher between the Korean and Black communities after the death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins two weeks after King’s confrontation with police. Video footage shows Soon Ja Du, owner of a convenience store in Harlins’s area, shoot Harlins in the back of the head after grabbing her backpack and trying to peer inside with the suspicion that the teen had stolen a bottle of orange juice.

Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1991 for the murder of Latasha Harlins.

Former Judge Joyce Karlin was condemned for sentencing Du to a  $500 fine, 5 years of probation, and 400 hours of community service and no prison time justifying that she “knows what a criminal looks like” and “believes that Du will not offend again” in an interview.

For many LA residents, the two videotapes and the lax sentencings that followed were symbols of racial injustice reflected in the community and politics and many also considered Du’s verdict a catalyst to the riots that followed. Many people chose to express their anger by attacking the residents of LA’s Koreatown as 65% of the arsons and looting targeted Korean-run businesses.

Comparisons have been made between the Rodney King case and now, the Stephon Clark case. Both high profile cases received national attention involved young Black men that were either beat or killed by white officers convicted of using excessive force.

Protests prior to the defendants in King’s case mirrored Clark’s: highly emotional, sporadic, but relatively peaceful before the riots.

Sacramento Police Chief Han explained in an interview with Fox 40 how law enforcement plans to stay dynamic in case riots break out. 

The independent autopsy of Clark’s injuries revealed that Clark was shot 6 times in his back, contradicting police’s alibi, and the recent incident in which a patrol car hit a protester and drove off has concerned many residents as heated tension grows larger in the streets of Sacramento.

Thousand Strong Aims For New Youth Job Opportunities

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Thousand Strong Aims For New Youth Job Opportunities

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The Thousand Strong program, implemented by Mayor Darrell Steinberg, hopes to enrich the young people of Sacramento with skills that they will need for both college and the workforce. By implementing the Thousand Strong program, the city of Sacramento hopes to better not just it’s youth, but also the prosperity of its economy as well.

The Thousand Strong program works with local businesses in order to give youth professional training, to help make them a better asset to companies. The program also offers internships, so that way young people can get hands-on experience.

“This is not another program,” said Mayor Steinberg in a press release. “It is the way we intend to do business in our city. We don’t run the schools, nor do we run a business – we are the link to ensure that our kids are first in line for the jobs in Sacramento’s new economy.”

All the students who enroll will be aided by a professional to ensure that they have support and guidance. With the new skill sets, young people of Sacramento will be better equipped to handle any job that they might apply for. They will also have opportunities through internships to obtain a job.

The program offers 40 hours of workplace training through paid internships. Because the program doesn’t charge the employer, it allows for more opportunities for internships and helps teens better prepare for the workforce.

For employers, they have access to hundreds of job profiles of youth through the City of Sacramento, and they will have the ability to network with talented youth, setting up possible future employees.

If you are a student and wish to apply to the program, click here. The deadline is April 8th, 2018. For employers, click here to sign up.

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Is Sacramento a “hot bed” for Human Trafficking?

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Sacramento has a human trafficking problem.

Four years ago, the Human Rights Society dubbed Sacramento with the title of “Second Worst City in the US for Human Trafficking.”

In December of last year, Elan Seagraves, a soccer coach at John  F. Kennedy High School, was arrested on human trafficking charges and for pimping at least two minors.

In early February, 58-year-old Yun Escamilla was booked into Sacramento County Jail on five counts of felony pandering–the act of persuading/forcing someone to become a prostitute. Escamilla housed five young women, constantly transporting them between three different Sacramento residences. It was reported that some of the women being prostituted were from Hong Kong and all were of Asian descent.

“Sex trafficking”, as it is called, is a global epidemic.

Thousands of people worldwide have been sold into, coerced or manipulated into sex-slavery. It has poisoned countless communities, but how big is Sacramento’s human trafficking problem?

“It’s been highlighted that there is more human trafficking in Sacramento than in other jurisdictions, but I think that it is equal to other jurisdictions,” Cindy Stinson, Lieutenant for the Sacramento Police Department and co-founder of Community Against Sexual Harm or CASH, told AccessLocal.Tv in an interview. “One reason that, if there is more human trafficking on Sacramento is because we have lots of freeways that run through Sacramento and there’s something called the circuit, where women will be driven to different cities where the freeways are close.”

Lt. Stinson thinks that another one of the reasons human trafficking in Sacramento is so highlighted is because the city is so informed on the issue and strives to do more about it through nonprofit organizations like CASH and WEAVE.

But is there any way individuals can fight against human trafficking in Sacramento?

“One way we can fight against sex trafficking in Sacramento is to focus on the demand,” Lt. Stinson explained. “So instead of going out and arresting the women or focusing on forcing action on the women who really are the victims, we can really focus on the men who are creating the demands to buy women–who are trolling around looking to buy girls and women for sex.”

“If all the law enforcement agencies in Sacramento got together and decided, ‘Hey, we’re not going to put as much of our effort on arresting the women, we’re going to put a lot of our effort on arresting the men who are pimps, who are trafficking the women, that would have a huge impact. It would also deliver the message that Sacramento is not a place that you want to come to buy women or traffic women.”

If you or someone you know is or might be a victim of human trafficking, please encourage them to call 1-888-373-7888, or text HELP to 233733.

VIDEO: Sessions In California Ignites Protest In Sacramento

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VIDEO: Sessions In California Ignites Protest In Sacramento

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After the Trump Administration filed a lawsuit over its Sanctuary State laws, Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared in Sacramento for a speech covering his issues with California. This appearance ignited a protest right outside of the Sawyer Hotel in Downtown Sacramento.

VIDEO: International Women’s Day March

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VIDEO: International Women’s Day March

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In honor of National Women’s Day, local organizers put together a march to discus prevelant issues that all women deal with, as well as the women in Sacramento. There was a heavy emphasis on diversity, and inclusion. There also was live music, as well as speeches given by different organizers.

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Soon, California Youth Can Be Pre-registered to Vote

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The largest expansion of youth voter access in American history will occur next year. A new bill, known as AB 1407, was signed by Governor Jerry Brown, on February 26th, 2018, that will automatically pre-register all eligible sixteen and seventeen year olds to vote when they receive a California Driver’s License or California State ID. This bill will automatically pre-register approximately 200,000 sixteen and seventeen year olds to vote annually. AB 1407 was proposed by Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher and was sponsored by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

AB 1407 updates the 2015 New Motor Voter Program, which allowed every eligible citizen, who requested a driver’s license or state ID, to be automatically registered to vote. This update will simply include automatic voter pre-registration for youth. Of course, young people have the option to opt out of pre-registration, if they wish.

“AB 1407 will increase voter engagement by removing the unnecessary step of pro-actively registering to vote, increasing the likelihood of a young person voting in future elections,” said Assemblymember McCarty.  “We need more young people engaged in the political process and impacting issues like college access and affordability, climate change, healthcare, and housing. Voting is the first step to make a citizen an active part of the political process. This measure will make sure that all voices in California are heard.”

This bill is scheduled to take effect on January 1st, 2019.

Meanwhile, on March 5th, Sacramento County’s Department of Voter Registration and Elections hosted an open-house meeting where Sacramento residents were invited to learn about the California Voter’s Choice Act’s effects on available voting options and to experience the new voting system technology that will be implemented in the June 2018 Primary Election. The open-house meeting was hosted at the Department of Voter Registration and Elections building from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

As per the procedure of the California Voter’s Choice Act, all Vote Center locations will be open two weeks before Election Day so that voters may vote on a day that is convenient with their schedule. Voters can visit any Vote Center within the county and staff will be available to provide assistance in multiple languages, help voters with disabilities, and update voter registration information. Of course, rather than attending Vote Centers, voters will have the options to vote by returning their ballots through mail or by dropping it off in the nearest county drop-box.

VIDEO: Know your rights as a student advocate

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VIDEO: Know your rights as a student advocate

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After the shooting at a Florida high school, students from all accords the United States have decided that they are going to band together and walk out of class on March 14th. But with principals threatening suspensions, some students are worried about how their activism may hinder their academic success. The ACLU put together a livestream video to reassure students of their rights, and what is equal punishment versus excessive punishment, and what you can do to assert your rights.

2018 Youth Media Conference Hailed As A Success

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2018 Youth Media Conference Hailed As A Success

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In the era of “fake news”, youth media organizations from all over California came together for the 2018 Youth Media Statewide Conference to sharpen their skills in journalism. This event was held in Oakland between February 17th – 18th at the Waterfront Hotel and was hosted by Youth Radio, a nonprofit media production company, an institution that prepares young people for the 21st-century digital workplace. The conference consisted of speakers and their experiences as freelance journalists, workshops on topics concerning photojournalism techniques and social media management, and networking opportunities.

So why is it important for young reporters to learn skills about media literacy and journalism? In light of the 2016 election, many American consumers of digital news and social media are aware of fake news and many young reporters in California are working to combat that with training in media literacy and in the production of quality, reputable local news.

“I really enjoyed meeting other youth media programs at the conference,” said Jazmine Justice-Young, a fellow youth media reporter. “I think my team and I learned a lot from the workshops they had that we’ll be taking back with us.”

Various workshops were provided to train young reporters to create quality news content. Erika Aguilar, a Podcast Producer and Reporter of KQED Public Radio in San Francisco, and Laura Klivans, a Community Health Reporter of KQED Public Radio who is also stationed in San Francisco, gave lessons in podcasting – and what different formats they consist of in terms of the level of production – as well as some techniques to ensure maximum audio standards for the audience’s experience.

Noah Berger, a freelance photographer who works for national and international news outlets such as the Associated Press, Reuters, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times, did a presentation concerning his experiences, techniques, and ethics of photojournalism. He demonstrated hands-on lighting techniques and discussed the best approaches to covering protests and other potentially-risky assignments.

Annie Yu, an Audience Engagement Editor of the L.A. Times, taught strategies of using social media in journalism to be more engaging to the audience. The basics include making a social media plan for a story, leading crowdsourcing campaigns, and building an audience.

The 2018 Youth Media Conference was overall a success as many youth reporters learned from experienced journalists and the training and support provided by the conference helped to sharpen the skills needed to be a credible, self-sufficient journalist.

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