http://thespawnpointblog.com/police-brutality/
Want To Help Support Victims Of Police Brutality? Here’s How!
by
Kahlief Adams January 3, 2015
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I can distinctly remember hearing about Amadou Diallo’s death at the hands of New York City police officers in 1999. I was coming home from college classes one day and heard on the news that a man had been shot 41 times by police officers. The thing that blared back at me was the constant refrain of the number: 41…41…41. It’s an exorbitant number, but on this night it was framed in the context of “justified force” — a term that we’ve seen thrown around for decades to justify the overuse of power. Used to justify the outcomes of incidents that are based more on racial profiling than evidence. A term trotted out to fortify the status quo when inequity has been the cornerstone of a justice system that too often fails people of color.
Flash forward a decade and a half to 2014 and we still see the unnecessary deaths of men and women of color at the hands of police officers. The only changes we see are the names of the victims and the circumstances that have led to their untimely demises.
So after the system’s refusal to prosecute officers on behalf of Eric Garner, on the heels of the the same refusal for Michael Brown, I felt like there was a need to do something, and to do something in a realm where I am familiar. Videogames this past year have been more than just my hobby; they have provided a space for reflection, catharsis and community. That community is you, and I want you to help spread the word about our first #Spawn4Good event.
We at the SpawnPointBlog & Spawn On Me Podcast have been inspired by what we’ve seen in the activism spaces with #icantbreathe and #BlackLivesMatter. We’ve discussed these topics on
our show and we want to continue to amplify the messages these communities have been sharing. Whenever we can, we want to put a spotlight on injustices and give people a space through gaming to have their voices heard.
On Jan 17-18, 2015, we ask you to join with us and stream on Twitch. This happening will provide a deliberate space for you to have fun with the community, and to reflect on the unequal way people of color, and specifically African-American people, are treated by law enforcement. We will support the families of those that were lost by donating to the
Eric Garner Fund, and
The New York Lawyers Guild that continues to organize protests and bail funds for those imprisoned for exercising their 1st Amendment rights on this matter.
All funds donated will be deposited to our CrowdRise
fundraiser and then equally distributed to the organizations and families listed above. If you have information about or suggestions for additional organizations involved in work regarding police brutality, or scholarship funds that are collecting donations around this issue, please share those notes in the comments or tweet us
@spawnpointblog and
@spawnonme
We will be streaming from our respective channels on Twitch
(SOM) &
(SOM2). Please share this event at anyone you think would be interested, affected or has a platform to signal boost. Share this with POC and Non-POC alike!
If you’d like to stream with us here are
suggested stream rules that we’d like you to follow and also a of picture you can use to help promote.
I want to start 2015 with a positive note, not only for the greater good but I also want our gaming community to not be afraid to have real conversations about issues that affect members of our community. This is an opportunity to have some of that discussion and to spotlight an issue that needs addressing.
Thank you for listening, supporting and we hope to see you streaming on the 17th & 18th.