Free the YoutH
Episode 3
In Episode 3: Policing, we explore the impact of policing on communities. Our hosts Sheriff and Malika speak with Destiny Bell, a local Chicago organizer from No Cop Academy. The No Cop Academy campaign was formed in 2017 to stop the construction of a $95 million dollar police training academy, and they continue to rally around divestment from and demilitarization of the police. Destiny and our hosts share their experiences with police in their communities and schools and how though police are supposed to “protect” they actually cause more harm.
credits
Co-Hosts: Sherrif Da Greatest and Malika Anthony
Special Guest: Destiny Bell
Production Team: AnnMarie Brown, Malika Anthony, Marlee Rich, Nicole Negrete, Shayne.Khaalvin, Sherrif Da Greatest
Invocation: Excerpt from “I Hate Love” by T.W., a young person currently incarcerated in one of the Illinois youth prisons; read by Shayne.Khaalvin
Original Music: Shayne.Khaalvin; IG: @shayne.khaalvinmusic
Other Music: Kaba Studios and Aced Spade
Producer: Isa Vázquez
Consultation and Guidance: Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger of AirGo Radio
Podcast Art: Brian Herrera; IG: @brianherrera.art
Special thanks to Circles & Ciphers and the Children and Family Justice Center at the Northwestern Bluhm Legal Clinic
transcript
Invocation (poem): Excerpt from “I Hate Love” by T.W., a young person currently incarcerated in one of the Illinois youth prisons
(intro music)
Sherrif: Welcome everybody to Free The youth podcast with also, uh, final five campaign. My name is Sherrif Da Greatest not with T H E but with da and thank you for our lovely participant. Um, for one of our young individual, young, young persons who read off our, uh, poetry for today for our invocation and pretty much what is an invocation invocation is pretty much just like an opening setting.
You know what I'm saying, where we always set the move, set the vibe for today's conversation. And I'm also with.
Malika: Hey, y'all I'm Malika. I one or the co-host with free the youth podcast and I'll. Pass it back to you, Sheriff, to do the check in.
Sherrif: Respect. Um, now, as we all know, you know what I'm saying for checking, um, we do a rose and a thorn, a rose is something that's positive and a thorn is something that's challenging. In addition, I just wanna throw this out to just this little additional technique. You know what I'm saying? I would have this on my conscious, um, Uh, as a kid growing up, what is something that you haven't seen?
No more as a kid growing up, what, but as it being adult, as you, or as it being adult, as you are now, uh, what haven't you seen? Uh, no more. Uh, so check in is a rose and a thorn, uh, rose something's positive, throw something that's challenging. And as a kid growing up as you are an adult now, um, what is something that you haven't seen.
I'll kick us off. Um, my rose today we got this, uh, passage going on with some young people. Um, so we flew to go through this little passage. I got the opportunity, to have movement for over the night to be outside and, uh, thorn. And it is still this little, um, This ticket that I got, you know what I'm saying?
In the middle of nowhere, DWB driving while black, you know what I'm saying? And, that's my thorn, and additional to that. Uh, so when I was growing up, you know what I'm saying? There was some, drag, I think there were like, they wasn't dragon flies, but they, like these little flies that kind of like light up, like light up bugs or something like that.
And I haven't honestly seen. As often no more. You know what I'm saying? So I don't see them no more and I'll pass it to you.
Malika: Well, my rose is that I'm about to go get cute I'm about to go get my hair and nails done. Cause I've been out here looking ugly for too long. So I'm excited for that. Um, my thorn, I'm just a little tired. Like I didn't sleep good last night and then. Something. I ain't seen that I used to see all the time in my neighborhood growing up was acorns.
I ain't seen no acorns in years, like none at all. So that's, um, my check in, so now we can get into today's episode, which is about city and we will be focusing on policing. Um, this will be a two part series that will focus on the experiences. People in our communities are having with the police and.
Possible alternatives for the community instead of calling the police and then I'll pass it back to you.
Sherrif: True and additional, you know what I'm saying? We wanna really do shout out to our lovely. Uh, participant guest speaker right now, you know what I'm saying? To destiny, you know what I'm saying? One of the youth organizers who work to stop the, to build new policing academy in Chicago and just, uh, her alone, just being intelligent and very open spokeswoman for our community, for the, for the women.
Um, and also she's gonna be talking about personal experiences, um, with the policing and what it's like to be a young organizer, a young woman organizer in Chicago.
(music)
Sherrif: What's up, everybody appreciate you coming to Free the youth podcast.
Uh, my name is Sheriff . I am one of the host with Free The You podcast And I'm also
with.
Malika: Hey,
y'all I'm Malika.
Sherrif: Respect. And also we have our lovely guests came today.
Uh, her name is destiny. I will let her go in about herself, who she are
and what she do.
Um, but before we get into that, uh, we wanna do a little quick check in, you know what I'm saying? One of the most highlighted warming things that we do and could
do, um, is share with
people is checking in. Um, so we're gonna do a rose and a thorn rose are some positive
thorn is something that's challenging. In addition to that,
what's a TV show,
um, that really opens your
eye.
Um, I'm gonna kick us off, you know what I'm
saying? And we just gonna go from there. Please say your pronouns.
You know
what I'm saying? Just to keep it.
Um, respectful for who you are
and how you
come. Um, what's
up, my name is I say this out there again, you know what I'm saying? Sheriff Da greatest not with T H E but with da, uh, my pronouns, I use he, him, you know what
I'm saying?
Um, and additional, uh, a thorn. Um, good thing.
Today's discussion about
police. You know what I'm saying? Uh, thorn, I got a DWB, um, out in the burbs in the middle of nowhere, uh, as I was going to go see some
youth, you know
what I'm saying? Um, and DWB is pretty much driving while black.
Um, so I'll let that be there. I
won't go into too much details. Um, additional.
Um, a rose
I'm looking forward , for my
business, you know what I'm saying? I'm looking
for, for my business to be up and running. and,
um, a TV show that caught my eye., I'm not sure
if yall have ever seen this movie, uh, low key. I'm gonna say, well, it's a movie actually. It's
a, I think it's called blind, blind. Or bird, bird, something I
wanna say blind spot blind spotted. This is a movie based in, California. I think it's in Oakland.
It's a pretty open movie. It's about a male African American and also a, a white dude. Who's tried to identify yourself as black, but you know, I leave that there.
Um, so that, yeah, that's pretty much
caught my eye and I'll pass it to you Malika,
Malika: my pronouns, are she her? Um, my rose is that I woke up, um always excited to have another day my thorn is that I had a long week like this week been long and I'm ready for it to be over with. Um, and then a TV show. that's really hard, but I'm gonna go with, um, the walking dead. And I say that just because it made me realize like how unprepared I am for something like that. And then also it made me realize I just how crazy that humans are, because even when we should be banding together. like they were still fighting each other and going to war and then I'll pass it to you destiny
Destiny: Hey everybody. My name is destiny. Any, um, pronouns is okay. Long as there with respect, um,
rose. Is, I've got to see my niece and she's gotten so big. I haven't saw her since my brother got locked up and yeah, she just grown so much and I'm just enjoying her while I got her So yeah. That's my rose, a thorn,l, just life like life, just they throwing curve balls. So just gotta deal with it. Yeah. Um, a show that I watch that like, really just like made me think about life is a show called dark and it just shows like these people in different dimensions of life, like past future present. And I just believe in stuff like that. Like, I feel like it's people out here that don't know how to time travel and stuff, but they not gonna tell the world about it. Cause yeah. But, and I pass it back to Sheriff.
Sherrif: Respect go crazy. Uh, I'm gonna look into that dark and, um, I fuck with a walk dead too. You know what I'm saying? Um, as deep as you say that, you know how peoples getting into it and trying to make it a survival. So it's deep, um, time traveling too. I believe you. I believe it is, uh, anyways, um, as additional, uh, thank you for coming, uh, destiny.I also want to throw it out there. if you can just tell us about yourself and, uh, how, you became a part about, uh, no cop academy.
Destiny: well like I said, my name is Destiny, I'm a 20 year old organizer in the city of Chicago. And I like got introduced to No Cop through this org, my home org, which is society's daughters. I just started going into meetings. Um, I've always just been interested in like activism. I didn't even know what organizing was. I just used to call it activism and activist, but, I just always just been really interested in that type of thing. and um, when I found out it was a way that I could actually like go to protests and speak places and actually try to do something to make a change in my city. Was, um, when I started going to the meetings and yeah, like ever since then, I just been really invested in organizing and no cop was, was my first campaign that I really, really got involved in. So it's like, yeah, it just real close to my heart. Like that's that's yeah, I love No Cop and what it's done for me and the work that we have done through no Cop
Malika: Thank you for that um feedback destiny I really um I'm in the same age range as you so When you say that, like, you ain't know something like, I really related to that because like a lot of, of, my friends that I speak with, or a lot of people in my, um, age group, they don't even understand that it's people out here that is doing this work. Like I didn't even know about this work started with the final five campaign. So I really resonated with what you said um, about that Now we was, wondering if you could, um, tell us what was your first experience with the police and what is your experience with policing overall in your community
Destiny: Um, my first experience with police was very, very young. Me and my brothers would like, just get into like petty things. Really. We was the family that always like took the blame in the neighborhood. Like, um, there's been number of times where my, well I've been brought back to my grandma. Cause why the police brought me back back home to my grandma because we were accused of breaking the window or, um, or like. Doing something. We had no business. Um, yeah, just always getting the police called on us. And it would, most of the time be petty, petty things, but yeah. And, uh, policing overall in my community, it really got heavy. Cause I'm from the Washington park area. that's the south side of, excuse me, the south side of Chicago. And i. The area wasn't as heavily policed as it is now. But I was like, I was, I was growing up in the era of it being started to become more gentrify, like the arts incubator and the university of Chicago really started to,
um,
come in and gentrify. So that just brought way more police to the community than we wanted it to be.
So there'll be like police. At our elementary school, like every day, just sitting on the corner, it'd be like two police, cop cars just sitting on the corner while we was coming home from school. Um,
or like, I don't, I don't know. Did we have no, we didn't have police in our schools. I don't think yet until they didn't come until eighth
grade year. Yeah, we just had, um, a lot of police in this area and they wasn't, they would try to be like those, oh, we here for the community. Like I remember one time at my school, they had invited like five cops to come and it was a, it was community and police. I don't know. We had a meeting with like five different police officers and they was telling us how they wanted to have a program where. Kids would come and talk to police and police would help them with their homework and all this other bull crap. But
yeah,
that's, that's, what I could think of.
Sherrif: It's real, I was wondering, um, what were you taught about police
when you were growing up?
Um, just throw it out there.
And most of, uh, I grew up in a well I'm from the west side, you know, what I'm saying? Um, from holy city, Garfield park, neighborhood sorta slash
mixing in, north London area.
uh, yeah, so I seen mostly, uh, as I experienced most of the policing, maybe with, um, For my family members. And
also, uh, just as we kinda moved out, you know what I'm saying? We kinda moved to, um, to Seattle, went to Bremerton and then
we came back back to the city of Chicago and Living on the north side is why I, you know, uh, consider myself being at, um, it's pretty much, uh, very diverse, you know what I'm saying?
And, uh, seeing gentrification in certain in certain
areas, My bad. Um, and seeing gentrification in certain areas, you know what I'm saying? Um, it, it really changed a lot. You know what I'm saying makes me
think about community of like, how, how they like to live and how they like to be and policing, you know what I'm saying?
Destiny: Yeah. I definitely agree with you because it was just
crazy seeing all of these new white people come in and then
also them trying to make it seem to the community as if it was something that was bettering the community. And when actually.
They were just telling us that we were gonna have
to leave really soon, Um, which is messed up.
Um, but
to your question, when you asked about like
policing and how they were, how it was taught
about police growing up, um, well,
My grandmother always taught
me that police are supposed
to protect you. They're supposed
to, um, those are the ones who you call when something bad happens, or those are
the ones who you, who you reach out
to with if you need help
or anything like that. But like growing up, it was never really that for
me, cuz like I, I can even
remember times that my grandmother even called the
police on my grandfather,
unfortunately, cause him getting physically abusive with her when he would. Drunk
or anything like that and them not
even caring, like, so it just made me look at
them as like y'all are supposed to be these people that serve and protect
essentially, but y'all are not doing that.
Y'all are just here. Making it
worse for the people who already live here and just showing that you don't care about
people who look like me. So I grew, I'm not gonna say a hatred, cuz that's a very
strong word, but I grew a disliking, a strong disliking from the police at a very
early age. Um, and then just them again, not caring
if my brother got arrested or like I would never forget the
time. Police officer told my brother, like he brought him home to my grandmother and
he told my grandma, like the next time I'll get, I, I
pull over your grandson or like, cause he didn't even have a car. Like my brother would
be walking down the street or something.
The next time I stop your grandson and have to bring him
home. And he reaches in his pocket, I'm going shoot
him. Like he told her just like that it was a black police officer and it just made me that, that
that's what made me realize, like, it don't matter if they look like
us, it don't matter if you think that just cause they some skin folk, like they don't mean that they
actually care about you.
They still not gonna care because of the badge that they wear.
So yeah, I was. To, to
appreciate having police around, but growing up, it, it didn't feel like that
It just
felt like hatred from them towards us
Malika: man that. that was crazy about the um I'm gonna shoot him again and it is you think that you could find comfort in a relation that you have to someone by being connected through skin color but like you said they all are underneath the same badge So they feel like they can move by different rules Um, also another thing what you were saying about Growing up being taught that Like police are supposed to protect I was taught the same thing Like I was taught to different things like, in school I was taught that like yeah the police are supposed to protect you when you call them if anything happens But in my environment and growing up seeing that like every time the police came into the neighborhood it was bad interactions It was taught that you didn't call the police You didn't have no interaction with the police Like you really handle situations on your own So that's really was like the two sides of like what I was taught growing up but Can you tell us what is the connection that you think is between policing and youth incarceration
Destiny: um, the connection that I believe.
That policing has
with youth incarceration is first of all, if you grew up in a neighborhood that
you see that's heavily policed and it could be the littlest thing that you do, and you're just the kid,
you feel like you're gonna
have to experience and deal with that for the rest of your life.
Because
like me growing up
in the house with my brother who always was dealing with the police at a very young age, and it would be over petty things.
Like, I just, it's so sad to say, like I just
saw the road that he was going down, like keep getting into,
um, with police. And it was just sad because I feel like
if he wasn't, like, if he wasn't shown that all his life, he
wouldn't like, he wouldn't wanna be a part of that.
Like,
um, Just, and then like being, like being raised by my
grandma also, and her being older, like seeing her haves to deal with that type of thing, getting a stress that it puts on a
parent,
them seeing what their child is going through with the police. And it's like, no one.
Cares. And that's
how it
felt like it just felt like no one cares.
It felt like only me
and my family is going through this and I just feel like
everybody.
Would put this stigma on
his back of you're going be in jail or dead. Like, those are your only two choices like, and its so messed up him being in jail right now.
Like I
was just talking to him
he feels like he’s not ever going to get out of jail or
Make things right for him
and his family, cuz this
is the, the lifestyle that
he chose and it's so messed
up because he was given this lifestyle. He was given that stigma. And I
feel like since they put that stigma on
his back,
that's what he felt
like he had to follow. And that's the road that he went
down essentially. Now he, he, 21 years old since in jail, five
years.
Like, I would've never even
thought that, like I would've never
even thought that, but it's like that since that's the stigma that they put on him, he had to follow that or that
he felt like he had
to
follow that.
Um, so yeah, I
just feel like it
just be.
The what, what
the youth see as they growing up.
Like even me,
I people say, uh, oh, if you are a girl, you might, you it might not be that bad
for you, but it's like, it don't matter if I'm a girl, I'm
a boy I'm still black. So they gonna treat me the same
way. Like they don't care. Like.
When I had got arrested at a protest, they're just
so nasty and rude.
And they don't care.
Holding
your gun because I'm trying to fix the back
of
my shirt.
I'm in handcuffs. There's nothing I could do. What are you
doing? like,
just them,
like,
yes. Police the, the heavy policing that you see will make them feel like that's
all that they gonna be around. It
feels
like
a prison. So that's where I'm gonna
end up. Right? Like it, this already feels
like a prison I'm already
restricted
to, uh, oh, I can't be around this place. Y'all are pushing me out of my neighborhood. I have to go into this certain place now because y'all don't
want me here no more. So y'all push me
out now. I'm in this heavily
police area.
That I'm always seeing police police at my school police when I'm walking down the street, police messing with me for no
reason.
That's, that's what they see. So
that's, that's what they're used
to. So that's what they gonna go by. That's what they feel like. They gotta,
That's
how I feel.
Sherrif: Hmm.
Um, I'm, I'm just curious too, um,
a little bit,
if you can, can say. just a little bit,
more around,
uh, do you think, uh, policing
incarceration have like a connection just a little bit? Uh, just tackle that a little bit
more.
Destiny: I feel like
it all
starts
back with school. Like them seeing a
lot of police
in, in
their schools. Cause sometimes
like you come to go to school and they feel like that's their
safe place. Like
that's
what they gets to their friends. they probably get to be
themselves a little bit more like at
school.
So when you bring a police officer in this.
Building
full, full with kids who already live in a heavily police neighborhood. It's like, dang,
when are we gonna
get a
break?
Like, I'm a always
see
these. And then it's like the SROs that they do put in schools, they're supposed to put their, they, they claim
that
they put them there to like be mentors or whatever
But it's like, that's not what they're there to do. They're
there
to police. They get.
Physical
altercations with youth that go to school. Like, no, that shouldn't be a
theme. And then when I think when I
look at how people are dealt with in prison,
it's the same. Like y'all are dealing with youth that are going to high school that are going to school
in general as if
they
were
in prison. So this is what they see. This is what, this is what youth are seeing on a day to day basis
at
school.
So it's like, I'm not
gonna
go there anymore. Then this causes kids to drop out. This causes kids
not going to come to school anymore. Then that's bringing police to come to their parents house. Why are your
kids not coming to school?
Like,
it's this pipeline
of just school of, of kids just going from school to prison, a lot
of
kids. And then I, I didn't even notice, but I guess they took a test. It was called the I
sat
test, but they take it so that, so that they
can.
How many kids are
gonna
be in prison. And I didn't even know that like, in their lives, in the lifetime, they, I don't know if they only do that in
Illinois, but I just had found that
out.
Sherrif: For sure
respect. Um, yeah, I think I just, I ain't gonna say I just heard it, but I think while back, um, some years ago let's say probably like four or five years ago. I think I
heard
that too. I didn't even know that. Um, I also, I thought the, they also said from the ice that they
also, uh,
determine, or the assessment test, whatever the test
is that they have you take.
um, it determines of like who's gonna drop out and
shit too.
So, um, I feel you on that, um, with that being said too, uh, I do feel you on the policing being in schools,
you know what
I'm saying and how that connection towards
incarceration? Um, because
of,
uh, me personally, that's how I personally came, uh, first and
came experienced with the police, uh, where I'm lying.
I think it was curfew. That was my curfew. My curfew was the one that got
me. Um, I think I was outside
to like 11 o'clock, maybe, uh, you know, on the radios when they said
they always pop
up on the radio. It's like, Hey, you know what I'm saying?
Um, some, do you know,
it's 10 o'clock or some whatever. Do you know where your kids are at
X, Y,
and Z? I think it was around
that
time,
10, 11, something back then. Um, and additional. So, uh, as having an encounter with the police from like personal, uh, fighting, you know what I'm saying? That was in the schools and we did have two officers. It was so
weird just to throw this out there so weird that they police officers.
It mind
you, they got this little gun caption.
Where it's like no guns allowed. And then they have police come in, they got, they badge, they got they guns,
they got this whole gear on,
you know what I'm saying? It's like,
how can you expose
something and say you
are
against something. And then you got, yet you
have the
police come
in too.
You know what I'm saying? I just wanna throw that out there. Um, but yeah, so they always
came in. Um, and
mind you, as they coming in,
when
that like fights take place, they coming in with
like, like shotguns, like heavy artillery just to come inside just to de deescalate.
Fighting situation,
um, in the schools, I'm gonna just throw this out that the schools make the proud way more worse because of why they don't wanna,
um,
they don't want to.
to. Solve the situation yet they wanna call the police and
make the situation worse than what it already
is. And now they have like about 30, 40 , like police officers
at schools. You know what I'm saying? Just because of a, a,
maybe three, four fights, you know what I'm saying? That
took place in the school where it could have been deescalated from the teachers from the, um, I mean, it's pretty much, that's what you there to, what you thereto teach.
You also there to help, you know what I mean?
Destiny: Definitely. And I just, just to piggyback off what you're saying, like about the school situation, like yeah. It
just be like y'all, if y'all
are
here to help the students, like the teachers and
the counselors, what, what, what do y'all need police for y'all could do
deescalate this thing y'all sell, but y'all are bringing all of this extra
over security. That's like over
trying to secure something that could have been secure within
the school.
Sherrif: Yeah,
that force is real. Um, I don't, I don't fuck with that force, how
they
coming. So, um, I do wanna, I think you
also that, uh, wanna highlight too, that you said about that burden. Um, I always wanna,
um, that idea of like, oh, they gonna
be
bad kids, bad
kids, like, you know, you don't, you don't put that burden amongst a kid cuz once you put that burden on a kid
or a person.
That burden sticks with them. You know
what
I mean? And as it sticks with them, there's no way that, uh, it could change
only if they hear whatever that they need to
hear to, you know, make it better.
But, um, I feel you on that and blessings to your
brother, you
know what I'm saying?
Hopefully, um, everything comings, according to his plan, he be home soon. Then we think.
Um, so I wanna ask you
too, um, as we mentioned about these policing and seeing how they, escalate situations from a
fighting
from, uh, walking down the street, racial profiling, I'm curious, you know what
I'm saying? Why is training cops Not the solution, an actual, still
harmful.
Destiny: Okay, well, this definitely, I mean, I've
heard this so many times, like maybe if we just trained them better
or like, that was the mayor at the time, ramen may, like, that was his whole thing
during no cop, like him being like, they just need better training, but it's like, there's no way, like, I can even think of a way that you can even do that because you're trying to train cops on how to do what better.
Exactly ?Like essentially they're doing their
jobs, quote on quote. So it's like you're training them not to do what, like
you're training them to profile people. You're training them to, if this person looks
suspicious, pull them over.
Whatever they take towards that point. That's
what they're trained to do.
So the you're training them better at doing
what, like there's no training in the world
that can make a person know, oh, maybe I don't have to
kill this person. Even though I was told to profile them
in. If they look suspicious to pull them over and act
accordingly. No, that's just not
the, that's not the way that
people do that, that you're supposed to do things like,
and then it's.
Like back to youth, like, I just don't see how ever
in
life it could be okay for you to pro profile a
kid, like, like you're profiling a kid, what, what could they do? That's so
freaking harmful that you have to profile them, stop them. And it escalates
way beyond a, a point to the point
that they're either arrested for something stupid or petty or that
they're killed or shot.
Cause. It's
only those two options with police. I feel like, and that's, it's been that for a while and it's, it's
just sick to me like that. They even think that like, that they even say that, that they even said that, to us, that they
just need better training. Like, no, they don't
y'all need to stop this, this, this needs to be done.
But people don't think like that in politics. So
yeah.
Malika: well, yeah, I think it is really real about what you were saying about like them feeling like there's no other option and. Something, so small escalates to so much drama in somebody losing their life or losing their freedom. Um, another thing I wanna say to like, kinda add on to that question is that if we look at history, we, we already see that they added trainings and trainings. We still fighting the same problem. So that's another way we can look at how training, is not a, um, solution at all. Um, but to kind of go back a little bit more to take it back to schools, you was talking a lot about. Schools and, um, the connection to policing. what, would you, think it would look Like for abolition to be
taught in schools
Destiny: I think that looks like.
Us being, not us, but like people who, who feel like this, isn't a problem being real and being like, why you just said, we're still fighting the same fight that we've been fighting
for years. So it's just like them being real and saying, oh, y'all are teaching
kids about. Black history,
but y'all also teaching them that the police are serving and protecting us.
Why not teach them about the
brutality that the police has put us through for years? And y'all keep on saying, oh, it's just training. They need better training, but y'all have been training them for years. Y'all have updated
quote on quote, their training for years. So if this is the case, why isn't the problem better?
Or why isn't this
situation? Grown it's still in the same place. It
has been for years, we're still fighting this exact same
fight. So just teaching them the truths and stop
sugarcoating,
everything. Like I just like, honestly, most
of the black history or my history that I've learned has not even been in schools.
It's been.
Other spaces that like spaces like no cop meetings spaces, like IADA like it's been in those type
of spaces. It, it has never been in school. I've only learned
about the people who everyone knows about Martin Luther king and Rosa parks. Like those people, Malcolm X, those people, those are important.
People don't get me wrong, but in the same sentence, we need to know more. We need to know the truth. Stop. Always. They need to stop. Always trying to
put ideas that the fight is
over that we, we won
the fight. No, it's not won. We're still fighting. We, we are still they're youth still out
here putting their blood sweat and
tears on the street so they could fight to get
freedom to get out of this.
State that we're
in.
Like, we like people, I I'd be scared to go outside sometimes like to even walk out the house,
just cause I'm scared of what might happen to me
and not even by the hands of my own people, but by the hands of the police, like I'm, I'm actually scared of the police and people be just acting like the police just here to serve.. No, they're not. And they
need to put that in.
children head like,
no, the police are not here to serve and protect us. And like
I said, this stuff don't be learned at schools. It be learned at
other spaces and that's really messed up to me cause this is a part of
our history. So why we not
learning
then? It's, it's
also the
schools
only
teaching us this stuff one side of the one
time out of
the
year. Like, no,
that's
no, but yeah. That's why I.
Abolition being taught in, school will look like just them actually teaching the truth and not
putting this sugar coded
face on that they
always put on.
Sherrif: True. Um, but I could definitely say too,
Hearing what you're seeing about,
teaching, teaching the truth and knowing dealing with the fact of what we actually currently facing,
facing,
and, uh, reality,
knowing, especially for people of color, you know what I mean?, and knowing abolitionists or knowing abolishing something.
Currently happening or that's currently standing, um, like putting awareness amongst our people.You feel me. So I think having that education, having that thought being taught,
I think more for sure, for sure will have more
young people, more people attending
and,Putting their face on the
forefront. And like you said, you know, there's a lot of
blood on, there's a lot of blood on the paves and tears that's
been shed amongst these
streets, just because of not even, it's not the war
people, it's the war
on
the
system that we are facing. You know what
I'm saying? and racism, you know what I'm saying?
Dealing with, it's like so many, so many, wars
against something, you know,
As we all
know, you know what I'm saying? Uh, these police and these updating the police, uh, systems, these police people that's working for the police
system. as we all know,
uh,
the, the equipment that they have,
the.
Trainings that they're being taught all this money
that's been going into them is not useful. It's not
working. You know what
I'm saying? Now I wanna just throw this out there to you,
destiny. You know what I'm saying? Uh, what
opportunities would be available if money that goes towards policing, is instead relocated to the
communities.
Destiny: Oh man. Like there would
be so much that we could do
with the money that the money
That's, I'm not even gonna say, given the money that's
wasted on the police, the money that
is wasted on the police could be used to. Put more community centers, more mental health clinics, more health
clinics for people could go and see like, cause there's this
stigma in the black community, that mental health, isn't a thing,
or that's not serious or that
it's this white people thing.
And that's not true. Like
we need our mental health checked on. We need to
take care of our mental health so that we won't be out here in the world. Like, and it's just like the fact
that we, uh, we'll rather close mental health clinic so that Enlo schools
so that the money could go, the police is just like, that's sick.
Like why wouldn't y'all wanna put this in a community that
needs it and not. And why would, y'all rather put
this in the police, in the community that doesn't even
want this? We don't even want all this
police in
our community. We'd rather.
Programs that we could go to clinics. We could go to places. We could
sit and enjoy our
family, our friends, where we would, we don't have to
always be scared to
be ridiculed by the police or be stopped, or our
functions being stopped by the police for no reason.
Like, it's just like they do all of it.
They, they say all of this stuff about. More money needs to be
put into the police. And it's like, no, y'all need to put that money into communities that actually need it. That's actually gonna use it. And y'all gonna see growth in that community. Y'all
Not going it's it, it won't like, I feel like the more work that is put into communities, the less problems we'll have.
Like, it wouldn't be all of these problems. It wouldn't be all of this incarceration, families being broken.
By the system, if y'all just took the money, took the time to actually invest into these
communities. Like they don't care. And that's the problem. No one cares about these communities until something.
And even with something bad happened, they still
don't care. Like it's just like, mom, they just, but
that is so crazy that that's the world that we live in. But just putting that money into communities where. Do Do tremendous things, opening programs,
clinics, like I just see a thriving
community when I think of stuff like that. But yeah, just putting more money in communities, when
communities open more things for youth to see for people to see in general.
Sherrif: yeah. Uh, I could definitely say,
you, I wouldn't say in that sense, but I would definitely
say stand for what you believe in, you know what I'm saying? Uh, definitely don't fall for anything.
So, if you have
a sense of truthness, I mean, that's your truthness and, just off the fact that you standing up against something,
that's not, that's not meant for you, that's against you.
All you doing is open up eyes for the rest of the people.
I definitely feel you mind as additional, uh, I do wanna throw this out there
for you. I do like how going back, giving money back,
to the communities and dealing with the fact going back, just to throw this out there to our peoples, you know what I'm saying?
um, we got blood on these streets. We got tears that's been shed, you know what I'm
saying? And a lot of situations, a lot of people that lost loved
ones, you know what I'm saying? I know there's people that lost loved ones. Um, and I just wanna let y'all know, you
know what I'm saying to kinda save lives?
Uh, I definitely wanna say some of that money need to go to trauma surgeons. You know what I'm saying? because
of, a lot of these, a lot of these hospitals that's in, in
in our local neighborhoods or in our
neighborhoods, you know what I'm saying? Um, they not, they don't have
trauma surgeons and the fact that they don't have it and I'm talking about from like one,
I think that is one and two there's two different
ones. One is, the highest where like
they, uh, they. More than likely be treated the right way.
Um, and two is where, like they only patch up whatever they can patch up, but no telling
if they can survive off
that. so I would definitely say, and also to our,
to our fire department, it's just to the fire department, you know, you're doing way more groundwork than, you know, police is doing what they doing,
You.know?
So, I just wanna throw this out there. Big ups to you.destiny.
Really wanna thank you.Tending to free youth
podcast. And also, do you wanna say anything, uh, to, uh, let our peoples know what they can tune into what
They can check into next? Um, yeah.
Destiny: Um,
I could say.
Definitely. I agree with you
on the trauma patients and getting trauma units in our community, cuz we need that. Um, and it's so messed up that every hospital doesn't
have a trauma unit. Every community doesn't have a hospital with the trauma unit,
but we definitely need that in our
communities. yeah, I definitely
appreciate y'all having me on the podcast and letting me
speak my peace.
and just getting the word out.
This policing and This problem that needs to be resolved
to our people. and yeah, I just really appreciate
y'all and just being a lookout for.
Sherrif: True, so, uh, for,
also for our listeners, you
know what I'm
saying? I'm
curious. Destiny, can You.
just throw out there? Uh, how can people, uh, check out NO COP academy from like the website, if they have
social media, that'll be useful.
Destiny: Oh, yeah. no cop academy. Has an Instagram that y'all could follow that gives updates, on like things that's going on.and I
think Twitter as well,
but yeah.
Sherrif: For sure. And just to close us out, we just go close out. We want to
make sure y'all just got the, the bait
of the cake. They just seen destiny, just put the icing on it and Malika
just come right. You know what I'm saying, giving us the candle, giving us the ingredient, throwing like the little
top of extra flavors on it.
You know what I
mean? Um, so we could just close out,
you feel me, so that way we could put a, Um, a plate onto that so we can just deliver it to the right people. so for our closeout,
we're going, just check
out, you know what I'm saying? Something that you
Looking forward to seeing in this upcoming year, I'll kick us off. I'll be looking forward to see the police being defunded, um, and
a lot I'll be looking forward for the
police to
be defunded and giving the money, being
back to the communities I pass it to you, destiny.
Destiny: I'm looking
forward to also
seeing the police being defunded, hopefully seeing more
youth prisons closed
and also. Just seeing more uprisings, like yeah. seeing
more uprisings, definitely.
and I'll pass it to Malika.
Malika: I'm looking forward to seeing,them stop the building
of Lincoln. and I'm also looking forward
To seeing more programs in our communities to Prevent things like kids going to
prison.
Sherrif: True. There yall have
it. You know what I'm saying? Uh, Sheriff Da
greatest, not with T H E but with D A and also im with
Malika, you know what I'm saying. And Destiny to our lovely guests, um, for holding it down, we out here. Um, and we'll check into
y'all please tune in duces.
(music)
Sherrif: Thank you everybody for tuning into Destiny's interview and thank you, destiny. Um, for opening up and sharing your story to the community, to the people's. And to the universe on what policing means to you and what police also has done to you as an individual, as a, um, as a person,and to the family, I pass it back.
Malika: Yeah, just to kinda piggyback off what Sherrif said, thank you, you know, for coming and opening up and sharing your experiences. Um, But now just a question to you Sheriff, and I'll answer it myself is like, what is one thing that you're taking away from this episode? And I just go first, a big thing for me that I took away from, this episode and talking with destiny was when she talked about.
her experience with the police started young and that, you know, if somebody thought that they had did something bad or like broken the window or anything that the police would immediately be called. And that stood out to me because that's kind of the work that we trying to stop right now, you know, like what can we do with our youth before calling the police?
Like what can we do to prevent the involvement of the police? So that really stood out to me because it was like, It goes way back, like just seeing it like on such a small level, like nobody stopped and tried to talk to them or even asked if they really did it. But instead it was automatically that the police was called and we still see that today.
So that really stood out to me and really made me notice, like the work that we doing is very important because history just keeps repeating itself. Nobody's breaking a cycle and then I'll pass it to you, Sheriff, to answer the question.
Sherrif: Appreciate that. Uh, yeah, I'm gonna say for one, I think it's the racial profile that pro give towards. People of color. that's in communities, that's high police. I think that's, for one for what she has that stood out to me as well in that burden telling a kid, being young, you know what I'm saying?
Telling them that they're gonna be bad or they're gonna be bad. They're gonna wind up dead or in jail. You know what I'm saying? Like that burden, that, that, that sits heavy on, a young person or a person in general, you know what I'm saying? And as life as they continue to go through their journey, you know what I'm saying?
That's, as that sticks with them, that thought is what counts is, is the thought that count. And that thought that of that burden is still gonna be on their mindset. You know what I'm saying? And, yeah, that, and also,she also said about, um, her family, you know what I'm saying? It sounds like from the separation that the system also gave, you know what I'm saying to the family and being as, a younger sister, I believe the brother, the brother of hers, you know what I'm saying was, Incarcerated, you know what I'm saying?
Like seeing like a role model in the family, uh, doing what he's supposed to be doing, um, and seeing him being taken away from the system, you know what I'm saying? And knowing that the family is, is the providers that that's needed within the family. So, yeah, I really appreciate and more importantly, you know what I'm saying, everything that she also said, you know what I'm saying?
That really stood out, um, Um, from, should abolitionists be taught in school because of she said she also, yeah, she said that it should. And I, I, I definitely feel that, you know what I'm saying, just off the strength of what today reality is that we're going through. And if you teach 'em young, they is more than likely they are no more and do better.
You know what I'm saying? From the knowledge that's being passed down.
Malika : thank you for your feedback Sheriff. Now we got a little checkout for the listeners, which is what has been your experience with the police. If you like to share with us, you could send it to us through our DMs on our Instagram at the final five, that is the number five campaign or email, which is info the final five.
Again, the number five campaign.com and we will share. To our channels. and I'll pass it back to you. Sherrif just to tell them a little bit about what they could be looking forward to in the next episode.
Sherrfi: , As we all heard, you know what I'm saying? It's about today's episodes about policing and for our people. everyone has a, a story with experiencing, with policing.
And, right now we want just to continue this conversation with a part two, because we had some other intelligent women, that's gonna be sharing their story with their policing , activists and very highly, involved in community organizing. her name is Bella and Chastity as well.
And, um, as we hear the snippet that we're gonna be playing, um, yeah, we hope to see, see, tune into part two of the policing conversation.
Malika: And again, just to reiterate, you can find us, on social media at the final five campaign or on our website at the final five. That this number five campaign.com. That is T H E F I N A L, the number five C A M P A I G N .com
And you can go to thefinal5.com/takeaction to donate.
Sherrif: True for, uh, thank you everybody for tuning into Free the Youth podcast. Um, that would be it for today's conversation. Today's episode. And we hope to see you soon and hope to give mul multiple, multiple, uh, conversations, uh, comments for you all to and take it easy.