Can We Get UN Oversight of American Policing In Black Neighborhoods?
By: H. Michael Harvey
Tags: United Nations, Police Brutality, Politics, BlackLivesMatter, African American

Photo by rob walsh on Unsplash

I’m saddened today to learn that yet another seed of Abraham, most likely from the tribe of Judah, has been slain in the streets of America by a white cop; Chicago this time.

Since Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland and all others similarly situated, it has become clear to me, neither state, local nor federal governing authorities have the interest or willingness to end this carnage in the streets of America.

American cops have proven to be as deadly as an Assad nerve agent released upon the Syrians, and as outrageous as a Russian chemical attack on the streets of the U. K.

Absent citizens taking matters into their own hands, I can only foresee United Nations intervention as the only plausible option to bring white police officers to heel.

Oftentimes military grade weaponry is the weapon of choice by cops in areas where a concentration of Africans in America live. Thus, U. N. intervention will serve as a counter force to the Gestapo tactics currently used to shot unarmed men and to put down the accompanying community unrest.

In 2015 the United Nations began the International Decade of People of African Descent. This decade long observance runs through 2024 and focuses on the theme, “People of African Descent: Recognition, justice and development.”

Haven’t heard of it?

No surprises there. It’s probably because it is a feel good gesture by the United Nations without any real interest in addressing the recognition, justice and development of people of African descent around the world.

However, according to the resolution passed by the U. N. General Assembly in 2013 (Resolution 68/213) which established the decade of People of African Descent: “The main objective of the International Decade is to promote respect, protection and fulfillment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for people of African descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that Americans of African descent are denied the rudimentary rights afforded to lighter hued humans on the planet and the fundamental freedoms to occupy public spaces in America.

This is evidenced by the plethora of recent incidents of Americans of European descent calling the police on Africans living in America for engaging in activities, as benign as, delivering newspapers on a designated paper route, or selling water on the stoop of their residence, or going for a swim in the neighborhood swimming pool. And God forbid, a preteen cutting grass in the neighborhood, or a lady wearing a Puerto Rico tee shirt in a public park.

The lives of Africans living in America, simply put do not matter to European Americans, thus there have been no meaningful efforts to address this inequity in the administration of justice since Eric Holder resigned as United States Attorney General at the conclusion of President Obama’s administration.

It is not likely that the current Attorney General, Jeff Session, from the former slave state of Alabama would lift a finger to address gun violence at the hands of cops on American streets.

Neither is it feasible to assume that the current President of the United States will do anything other than exacerbate the situation by empowering gun-toting right wingers to get into the act to seal off access to the pursuit of happiness in America to citizens of African descent.

If the United Nation’s “International Decade of People of African Descent” is to have any impact, it must address the explosion of violence and aggressive racial animus perpetuated on people of African descent living in the United States by Europeans living in North America south of the Canadian border.

On behalf of Harith Augustus and all other Africans living or dead in America at the hands of legal vigilante justice, it’s past time to call the United Nations on the United States of America.

Harold Michael Harvey is an American novelist and essayist. He is a Contributor at The Hill, SCLC National Magazine, Southern Changes Magazine and Black College Nines. He can be contacted at hmharvey@haroldmichaelharvey.com