New York—Yesterday marked one year since the suicide death of Kalief Browder. Young African Kalief was arrested at the age of 16 in 2010 and imprisoned for three years for allegedly stealing a backpack.
Kalief never stood trial, nor was he found guilty of any crime. He, however, spent three years at the Riker’s jail. Nearly two of those years were spent in solitary confinement.
The case was eventually dismissed and Kalief, affectionately called Peanut by his family, was released in June of 2013 after numerous postponements of his case and 31 hearings.
Kalief hanged himself in his home in the Bronx on June 6th of last year.
Details of the case
In May 2010, 16-year-old Kalief and a friend were walking home after a party when they were profiled and stopped by New York pigs and accused of stealing a backpack.
Kalief maintained his innocence and volunteered to be searched.
After the search turned up nothing, the police left and returned with a different story, this time accusing them of robbing a man two weeks earlier.
Kalief and his friend were placed under arrest, handcuffed and taken to the 48th precinct.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Kalief recalled the pig saying, “We’re just going to take you to the precinct. Most likely you can go home.”
Kalief and his friend were fingerprinted and were placed in a holding cell for hours before being taken to central booking where he was held for 17 hours.
He was then interrogated without the consent or knowledge of his parents, and with no attorney present.
The next day Kalief was charged with robbery, grand larceny and assault.
His bail was set at $3,000, however, like most working class Africans, his parents could not afford bail nor an attorney. Kalief was sent to Riker’s Island prison camp.
While being illegitimately held in the stressful and oppressive prison camp, Kalief tried to commit suicide several times.
He was repeatedly beaten by thugs called prison guards as well as other inmates––who had grown violent from their stay in such deplorable conditions.
Kalief was sent to solitary confinement for defending himself in these altercations.
Kalief spent about two years in solitary confinement where he spent 23 hours of the day alone in a twelve-by-seven cell.
Kalief was shuffled to court at least 35 times and stood in front of at least 18 different judges. Kalief always maintained his innocence and refused to take numerous plea deal offers for “something that he did not do.”
Once his case was dismissed in 2013, Kalief tried to go back to his life. He got his GED, enrolled in the local college and got a part-time job.
Even though he had a strong case against the State and tried to move on with his life, Kalief struggled mentally. He sought and received counseling every week.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Kalief stated that, “People tell me because I have this case against the city I’m all right. But I’m not all right. I’m messed up.”
The judicial system facilitates genocide of African people
According to colonial laws, Kalief’s case should have been tried in a court in a matter of days.
The courts, however, sought “long, undue adjournments of these cases to procure a guilty plea from plaintiff” as they offered him deal after deal in which he would have to plead guilty.
The government and all its goons should be held accountable for illegitimately imprisoning and causing Kalief’s death.
From the pigs that illegitimately arrested him and his public defender, to the district attorney and prosecutor––they should all pay reparations to Kalief’s family.
The African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) is clear on the role of the State and its judicial system when it comes to Africans. The judicial system exists to protect the interest of the white ruling class by oppressing the African population.
Almost 50 percent of the people being held in U.S. prison camps are African.
Mass incarceration is blatant genocide being committed against African people as the population cannot properly reproduce itself if large numbers of our men and women of child-bearing age are imprisoned.
Kalief was imprisoned for three years because Africans live under the oppressive will of the white ruling class. We are not a self-determining people.
We must struggle for self-determination! Sign the AfricansChargeGenocide.org petition! Also join the Africans Charge Genocide Working Group by emailing AfricansChargeGenocide@InPDUM.org or visiting InPDUM.org.
The working group is leading the Africans Charge Genocide campaign to demand that the UN charge the U.S. with crimes of genocide against the African population.
The only way that Africans can truly be free is to have self-determination. Self-determination can only be achieved through revolution and the overturning of this parasitic system!
Uhuru!
Africans Charge Genocide!
Black Power Matters
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