Today, Oct 28, marks the National Day of Outrage, a collective effort across a number of cities to take action, and bring attention to the crisis of cop-involved shootings that have claimed the lives of Black people.
READ MORE: Atatiana Jefferson was laid to rest, remembered as smart and caring
The grassroots rallies are being led by Tamika Mallory, who heads up Until Freedom. The effort is particularly significant because it will honor 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson, who was shot and killed earlier this month by a Fort Worth cop, who was dispatched to a call at her home.
“It is absolutely outrageous to consider that less than one week after Officer Amber Guyger was found guilty of murdering Botham Jean in his home in Dallas, that another Texas police officer could fire with impunity into the home of another innocent Black person,” says Mallory, adding “We demand answers, but more importantly, we demand change. We will not allow Black people to continue to be preyed upon by those committed to protecting and serving them.’
Mallory and Until Freedom’s Co-Founder Linda Sarsour, Mysonne Linen and Angelo Pinto will lead the charge in NYC at Foley Square, along with “the Arc of Justice, Justice League NYC and other leading activists, advocates, elected officials, faith and community leaders, artists and more,” according to a press release.
Jefferson’s death is just the latest in what seems to be a constant stream of killings of people of color at the hands of law enforcement. The rallies were organized to shed light on a persistent problem that a Georgia-based activist Marcus Coleman says needs immediate attention, 11 Alive reports.
“You can sit back on your behind and say, ‘what makes this rally different?’ Or you can notice the aggressive and the egregious behavior, and then think what the hell can we do to not just curb this, but to stop it,” Coleman said, lead organizer from group Save Our Selves, who is leading the Atlanta rally at the Georgia state Capitol.
Activists are asking participants to also dress in all Black.
Although Jefferson’s recent death has captivated the headlines, Coleman said there are a number of local police-involved killing of people of color that are just as noteworthy.
“A number of families have been affected right here in Georgia. We got the family of Kendrick Johnson. His mother is coming up from Valdosta. Jamarion Robinson, Nicholas Thomas, Jimmy Atchison,” Coleman listed. “We felt like being in the capitol of Georgia. Being in the city of Atlanta, as far as what that means, as far as the birth place of the civil rights movement.”
READ MORE: OP-ED: Why Do Atlanta Police Killings Get Overlooked?
“Recently, California passed a state legislation as it deals with the usage of deadly force … we will be calling for an adoption of that legislation here in Georgia,” Coleman said. “The takeaway is that these black lives are dying at a very rapid rate.”
The rally will kick off Monday night at 5:30 p.m. at the state capitol.
Here are the confirmed cities so far:
NEW YORK
Foley Square
111 Worth Street
New York, NY
Contact: untilfreedomofficial@gmail.com
FORT WORTH (2 LOCATIONS)
OUTDOOR LOCATION
DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED
Contact: clhughes77@gmail.com
HARVEST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
6036 Locke Avenue
Fort Worth, TX
Contact: bcarter@valueofalife.us
HOUSTON
Houston City Hall
901 Bagby Street
Houston, TX
Contact: amfannin.htx@gmail.com
SEATTLE
Seattle Police Department East Precinct
1519 12th Avenue
Seattle, WA
Contact: konikkita@gmail.com
ATLANTA
City Capital
206 Washington Street SW
Atlanta, GA
Contact: marcuscoleman@ymail.com
PHOENIX
School of Hip-Hop
1634 E. Southern Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
Contact: motiv8university@gmail.com
JACKSON
Jackson, MS
More detail to be released
KNOXVILLE
2340 Martin Luther King, Jr.Blvd
Knoxville, TN
Contact: brittany@highlandercenter.org
LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Regional Justice Center
200 Lewis Avenue
Las Vegas, NV
Contact: marciewells1@gmail.com
RALEIGH
Raleigh Police Department
More details to be released
Contact; gerald@raleighapexnaacp.org
MIAMI
Miami Workers Center
720 NW 55th Street
Miami-Dade, FL
Contact: rgilmer@dreamdefenders.org
FAYETTEVILLE, AR
Good Shepard Lutheran Church
2925 Old Missouri Rd
Fayetteville, AR
Contact: catherinesnyder74@gmail.com
WASHINGTON, DC
DC Police Headquarters
300 Indiana Avenue
Washington, DC
Contact: karish.mehta@gmail.com
BALTIMORE
Baltimore City Police Headquarters
700 East Joppa Road, Towson
Baltimore, Maryland
Contact: statevsusmag@gmail.com
DETROIT
Spirit of Detroit Plaza
2 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI
Contact: aharveyquinn@faithinaction.org
SHREVEPORT
Life Changing Solutions
331 Milam Street, 3rd Floor
Shreveport, LA
Contact: omari@asapworldwide.org
SPRINGFIELD
BLACK WOMEN’S MONUMENT
Symphony Hall
34 Court Street
Springfield, MA
Contact: tanisha@arisespringfield.org
DAYTON
McKinley United Methodist Church
196 Hawthorn Street
Dayton, OH
Contact: daytonunifiedpower@gmail.com
NEWARK
Details to be announced
CHARLOTTE
Police Department
Details to be announced
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