National Day of Non-violence – April 4, 2010

WHEREAS, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is committed to attaining human rights for all; and 

WHEREAS, throughout history the NAACP has worked against police brutality, and worked diligently to create a fair criminal justice system; and 

WHEREAS, the recent shooting deaths of Oscar Grant, III (Oakland, CA), Adolph Grimes, III (New Orleans, LA), Billy Joe Johnson (Mississippi), and countless other youth and young adults across the country have taken place under a cloud of officer involved suspicion; and 

WHEREAS, police brutality is one of several forms of police misconduct, which include, but are not limited to, false arrest, intimidation, racial profiling, political repression, surveillance abuse, sexual abuse, and police corruption; and 

WHEREAS, we are deeply troubled by the continuing pattern of racial incidents across the country – hate crimes, police misconduct, and racial intimidation which are all-too- often tolerated and ignored by local law enforcement officials and courts; and 

WHEREAS, the NAACP Youth & College Division created the National Day of Nonviolence to lift up the nonviolent teachings of Dr. King and to increase peace and justice dialogue in communities ravaged by crime and violence. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP re-affirms its National Day of Nonviolence as a 2010 National Day of Action, Sunday, April 4, 2010 and issues a call to all units encouraging them to host public hearings, facilitate discussions and forums to address their local neighborhood's concerns; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP create and implement a tracking tool for units to identify police accountability structures on a city level, and within their local transportation districts; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP collects and compiles the data findings across the regions and release the findings during the 2010 Convention; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP develops a model structure for police accountability that can be passed down for local unit implementation; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP meets with the U.S. Attorney General and Justice Department with its findings; urge police brutality be a top priority of the office, and call for use of investigative powers.