Activists Call For ‘Chicago Peace Surge’ During Labor Day Weekend

By Starla Muhammad -Managing Editor- | Last updated: Aug 31, 2016 - 12:10:11 PM

Activists held a press conference outside Chicago Police headquarters after the Fraternal Order of Police in the city issued a memo to its members urging them not to accept mandatory overtime during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend. Photo: Kathleen Starks Muhammad

CHICAGO— When the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police union announced it was urging its members to avoid working mandatory overtime during the upcoming Labor Day weekend— historically a busy time throughout the city and in the past is a weekend that sees an uptick in shootings and violence—local activists didn’t complain to city officials, but instead, decided to take matters into their own hands. For the nation’s third largest city which finds itself in the midst of the all too common nationwide trend of killings and abuses of Blacks and Latinos by rouge law enforcement officers along with also battling internal fratricidal violence, several community groups, organizations and individuals have stepped up efforts to confront what Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan refers to as “a war on two fronts.”

“By urging Chicago Police officers not to work during what traditionally is a violent weekend, the FOP is all but inviting Purge-like activities as in The Purge, a movie whose basic plot is an annual American holiday where mayhem and murder are legally sanctioned,” Phillip Jackson, executive director of The Black Star Project, a local grassroots organization dedicated to educating Black and Latino youth, stated in a press release. “Instead we intend to counter this pre-planned Purge with our own Community Peace Surge of responsible men and women stepping up to make our communities clean and safe,” added Mr. Jackson.

A police union memo referred to the upcoming weekend Sept. 2 – 5 as “FOP Unity Days,” in order “to show unity and to protest the continued disrespect of Chicago Police Officers and the killings of Law Enforcement Officers across our Country; we are requesting FOP members to refrain from volunteering to work for any and all Special, Secondary and other types of Non-Mandatory Overtime Employment for the entire Labor Day weekend …”

Last year during the holiday weekend the city saw nine deaths and 46 wounded from gunfire.

At Final Call presstime, there had been 2,818 shooting victims in Chicago since the beginning of the year compared to 2,988 for all of 2015 according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune, the majority occurring on the South and West Sides of the city.

One of the latest victims was Nykea Aldridge, a 32-year-old mother of four and cousin of NBA superstar Dwayne Wade, recently traded to the Chicago Bulls. Mr. Wade grew up in nearby Robbins, Ill. Ms. Aldridge had just finished registering one of her children for school when she was shot and killed while pushing her newborn infant in a stroller. Police state she was an unintended target when two alleged gang members were firing at someone else. Two suspects were arrested. This tragedy is in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of unarmed Paul O’Neal, 18, by Chicago police July 28. The teen was shot in the back running from police after crashing a stolen vehicle.

The Community Peace Surge is a joint effort, coordinated by The Black Star Project and the Justice Or Else Chicago Local Organizing Committee (LOC). They are calling on churches, mosques, fraternities, sororities, street organizations and concerned residents to take part in efforts over this year’s holiday weekend. Organizers have put up posters throughout the city urging people to get involved and help.

Upon returning from 10.10.15 in Washington, D. C., which commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March, themed, “Justice Or Else,” Min. Farrakhan gave a command to make our communities a safe place to live and called for 10,000 Fearless Men and Women to help in this effort, explained Student Minister Jeffrey Muhammad, co-chair of the Chicago LOC.

Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to Min. Farrakhan, challenged the Chicago LOC to be creative in finding ways to produce effective change in Chicago’s Black community, said Student Minister Jeffrey Muhammad. Since then, committee members have been hard at work throughout the Chatham area engaging with youth, hosting clean up and trash pickup efforts and other activities to try and make a difference. Organizers said their continued efforts, which include the Labor Day peace surge will take long, sustainable work and that help is needed. During the Labor Day Weekend, organizers said men, women, young adults, teens and children are encouraged to participate. However, they are calling heavily on Black men, 18 and over, to take the forefront in walking throughout communities during evening hours.

Efforts will be concentrated in 10 areas of the city: Roseland-Riverdale, South Shore, East and West Englewood, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, Auburn Gresham, Austin, Chatham-Grand Crossing and New City- Back of the Yards. Organizers are urging residents to take a stake in their own communities by doing the following from Sept. 2 – 6:

Cook out or picnic on your block or in your local park. Walk your streets, meet your neighbors, congregate on corners, and claim your streets as yours during the day and the evening hours.
On Saturday, September 3 between 9:00 a. m. and 12:00 noon, clean your streets and alleys, pick up paper on your block, trim bushes/ shrubs and pull weeds, or plant flowers.
During this period, spend time talking to youth. Encourage them to do well in school. Discourage them from engaging in behaviors that destroy our communities. Point them to resources that can help them with their lives.

“We still have a responsibility to our own community … we’re empowering ourselves to change our own condition,” said Student Minister Jeffrey Muhammad.

“Wherever someone feels that they have time, whether that’s in the morning for the ‘clean and green,’ whether that’s events for the BBQ’s or whether that’s for the surge, it’s about our people,” said Herb Howard, project manager for the Chicago Community Peace Surge.

Additional groups participating include, BRIJ Fund, The Black Mall, New Era Chicago, Anti-Eviction Campaign, N’COBRA, Black United Fund, Breaking Bread, Black Consortium, Project 5000, St. Sabina, Afrika Enterprises and others.

For more information about the Chicago Community Peace Surge and to get involved, call 312-610-7787 or visitCommunityPeace Surge.org. #ChiPeaceSurge #Community- PeaceSurge

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