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Greetings Beloved Community…
#SonyaMassey, a 36-year-old Black mama of two, called 911 for help, fearing a prowler outside her Springfield, Illinois home. Instead, police demanded to see her identification, gave instructions (which she followed), and ultimately shot Sister Sonya in the face, killing her. The horrific bodycam footage was released earlier this week. Sean Grayson, the cop who pulled the trigger, worked for six different law enforcement agencies in four years and is thought to have linkages to white-supremacist groups and possible officer gangs. He has been arrested and charged, and we must stay vigilant to demand full accountability.
Sister Sonya’s story is all too familiar, all too chilling, but normalized by a system of state-sanctioned violence that continues to dehumanize Black women. This brutal act is not an isolated incident but part of a horrifying pattern of violence against Black women by killer cops. Like #WakieshaWilson, #RedelJones, #MichelleShirley, and #NianiFinlayson, Sonya’s life was stolen by those who are allegedly there “to protect and serve.”
Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles stands in fierce solidarity with Sonya Massey’s family and community. We are outraged and heartbroken, but not defeated. We call for justice in the name of Sonya Massey and all Black women whose lives have been stolen by police violence. Grayson’s indictment on charges including first-degree murder is a step, but it is far from enough. We demand systemic change, accountability, and an end to the rampant brutality against Black bodies.
Sonya Massey’s life mattered. Her spirit, her love, and her faith mattered. We will not rest until justice is served for Sonya and every Black person wronged by this system. In the name of Sonya Massey, we demand an end to this cycle of violence. We rebuke this broken system and vow to fight for a future where Black lives are truly valued and protected.
Let’s turn up for Sonya Massey and all of our people on Wednesday at 4 PM across from the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) – 1313 W. 8th St.! Police associations like the LAPPL are paying for the killer cop’s defense and have enabled policies that allow cops like Grayson to hop from agency to agency without accountability.
60 Seconds for Justice (quick things you can do right now):
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DONATE to the family of #NianiFinlayson who, like Sonya Massey, was a Black mama killed by sheriffs after she called 911 for help.
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READ the Black Lives Matter Grassroots Action Report, which offers a glimpse into the powerful work of our organizers and 39 national chapters.
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SIGN AND SHARE the petition to #FreeBrittanyMartin – Black mama and freedom fighter who remains in prison for organizing a #BlackLivesMatter march in 2020.
BLMLA Actions/Events (7/22/2024-7/29/2024):
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Tuesday, 7/23/2024 11AM – Demand a Freedom Campus after Police Violence at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles – Join BLM Grassroots in supporting the Freedom Campus demands issued as a settlement offer by Melina Abdullah following the brutal assault on her by campus police in 2022. The university rejected every single point in the offer, including requiring permission or a warrant for campus police to enter faculty offices, making campus events accessible to the university community, and divesting from weapons manufacturers. Administrators then leveraged another legal action that threatened Dr. Abdullah with personal financial liability to force her to drop her suit against them.
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Wednesday, 7/24/2024 4PM – #EndPoliceAssociations Rally in the Name of #SonyaMassey at 1313 W. 8th Street – Rally in the name of #SonyaMassey, a Black mama killed in her own home by sheriffs in Springfield, Illinois! Sister Sonya’s killer is being protected by a police association that is a sister organization to the Los Angeles Police Protective League. Stand in her name and in the name of all our people stolen by police violence to #EndPoliceAssociations! Bring your voices and energy!
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Saturday, 7/27/2024 8-10AM – This Is Not a Drill! on KBLA 1580 AM or facebook.com/BLMLA – Tune in to This Is Not a Drill! every Saturday from 8-10 AM. This week, we’re scheduled to talk about the countywide effort to move funds away from jails and sheriffs and toward systems of care through Reimagine LA, spearheaded by our own Megan Castillo. Join the #MoreThanAHashtag conversation with the family of #FrankTyson.
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Sunday, 7/28/2024, 4-6PM – Rally for #YongYang at Liberty Park, 3700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles – Yong Yang, a 40-year-old K-Town resident, was shot and killed by LAPD in his family home during a mental health crisis. The Yang family and Korean organizers are requesting support from BLMLA and have been at weekly Black Lives Matter protests to stand in solidarity. Join the demand for justice, accountability, and systemic change in Yong Yang’s name. Please bring water, drums, megaphones, and speakers to support the rally.
Recap:
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At the LAPC Commission last Tuesday, Black Lives Matter-LA, Stop LAPD Spying, White People 4 Black Lives, LA CAN, and allies called out the LA Police Commission for refusing to hold killer cops accountable after they steal our loved ones and take much-needed resources away from our community.
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Last Wednesday’s #EndPoliceAssociations rally marked the third one of the month, featuring drumming by Project Knucklehead! The families of #SkyYoung, #VanessaMarquez, #JamesMincey, and #YongYang were all present. We took to the streets to protest against the Los Angeles Police Protective League and all police associations.
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On our radio program, This Is Not a Drill!, aired live on KBLA 1580 AM last Saturday, Pastor Cue JnMarie hosted with Kim Holmes in the co-host chair. They were joined by our own Dr. Melina Abdullah to talk about Project 2025 and other Republican antics used to oppress Black people in this country. The mother of #JabrilRobinson served as our #MoreThanAHashtag conversation, talking about Jabril’s life and her continued fight to bring him justice. Missed it? Watch here or listen to BLM’s This Is Not a Drill! wherever you get your podcasts.
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Last Thursday, BLMLA joined a press conference to announce that LA Deputy Sheriff Ty Shelton has finally “been relieved of duty” after murdering Black mama #NianiFinlayson in front of her 9-year-old daughter last December. This comes after months of protest and organized actions in Niani’s name. Next up, we demand that Ty Shelton be prosecuted.
BLMLA in Media and Must-Reads:
#BLMLA
Additional Reads
Tune in –
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Move the Crowd airs every Monday morning at 7AM on 90.7FM KPFK kpfk.org. Listener calls around 7:40 at 818-985-5735.
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Tune in to This Is Not a Drill! every Saturday 8-10AM, with a rebroadcast on Sundays on KBLA Talk 1580 and kbla1580.com and on facebook.com/blmla.
Black Lives Matter is truly a labor of love, and our work produces real expenses. To support our work, please donate to gofundme.com/BLMLA and donate here to support the work of Black Lives Matter Grassroots.
For the most updated information and more on our work, please visit our website at blmla.org and follow us on social media: @blmlosangeles on IG, @blmla on Twitter, and Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles on Facebook.
Peace, Health, and Justice,
The Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles Team
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