CKDU NEWS FEATURE: CITIZENS DENOUCE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK YOUTH

The CKDU News Collective presents an Operation Wake Up Special Feature:

CITIZENS DENOUNCE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK YOUTH

*** Click here to listen online! ***

June 17, 2009.
Asaf Rashid and David Parker.

HALIFAX - On Tuesday, June 16, Operation Wake Up host Asaf Rashid interviewed Keslyn Adams and El Jones, both members of the Black Inspiration Network Nova Scotia (BINNS), a citizen's group that is organizing a march and rally against the criminalization of black youth.

BINNS cites numerous recent examples in the Halifax region of racism, including recent expulsions of black youth from local high schools, as well as an incident at the Dartmouth Sportsplex.

In these cases, numerous black youth were rounded up and sent to the police station. The reason for the police actions remain unclear.

Keslyn Adams is a mother of one of the expelled youth, and El Jones is a King’s College professor and poet. Asaf Rashid interviewed them about the march and rally. They discussed the racist treatment within the justice and the education system towards young black community members.

Jones and Adams also spoke about their hopes for the future, and how we can find inspiration in this situation, as the name of their group suggests.

The march and rally will take place on Saturday, June 20th, at 2 pm. Participants will gather in the Halifax Commons, then march down to Gottingen street, past the police station, and up to the George Dixon Centre, where there will be a community barbecue, including entertainment for the whole family.

To listen to the half hour program, including a poem by El Jones entitled 'War against Black Women', Click on the link below.

*** Click here to download the audio file ***

Program length 31 minutes. High quality mp3, variable kbps.

Music:
KRS-One - Sound of the Police
Dead Prez - Police State.

Operation Wake Up is the CKDU News Collective morning news and public affairs program. It airs Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 9:00 am on CKDU 88.1 fm. Check out our on-line archive of special features at news.ckdu.ca.