Can of Worms
As more details behind the death of the New York University student surface, law enforcement officials have announced that the motive behind the Harlem crime is robbery, not racial bias.
Although police had been investigating the incident as a possible bias crime, citing an anonymous witness who said he heard one of the black attackers yell, “Get the white guy,” they determined that the assault on the 20-year-old was instead a robbery gone awry.
But this determination has led to claims that the police are shying away from the hate-crime designation for political reasons. Prominent civil rights lawyer Norman Siegal said:
“They don’t want to have increased racial tension, racial divisiveness and violence. They’d rather ignore what’s painfully real, which is that there are still racial tensions in this town.”Certainly racial tensions have crept into some of the threads in this blog, but I wonder what is at the heart of this latest debate. Is it reflective of a deepening racial divide here in Harlem or is this tragic story simply the tool that's being used to help pry open this can of worms?
posted by Rachel Natalie Klein at 12:14 AM
19 Comments:
I say blast the can wide open. Racial issues are best dealt with out in the open. We may never know the true motives of these kids, but that shouldn't stop a debate about the racial divide in this city or throughout the country.
How else will progress be made if we don't debate this issue openly. The KKK flourishes when it hides, and is always defeated when it's brought out into the sunlight.
Nothing is solved in the long run by trying to keep people pacified with partial information, misinformation or outright lies. Tell us the full truth, and let us work out our different opinions and attitudes.
I agree! As a young black male, there are kids who are terribly ignorant to the changes that are happening in "ghetto" neighborhoods. They don't understand why people from the "outside" want to come there and be different and (as a result) the neighborhood changes, and you become the "outsider" in your own turf. Many people including children won't do that without (school-yard bully style) violence, not without authorities (and parents) explaining the need for racial and class tolerance in the community as well as in the schools. Harlem kids must be aware of how to act around white people - I'm serious...
When you see the facts this was clearly not a hate crime.
It was a crime of vermin preying a good person, regardless of color.
I believe the NYPD are correct in not calling this a hate crime.
I hope the media does not fan the flames of racial tension just to get press.
But lets get it out in the open, racism exists and feeds on ignorance.
The silent majority of the Harlem I know are great people to share a neighborhood with.
My condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Hehman.
I think it is a valid discussion. We call all sit together, smile and play nice when we have all of these undertones of fear and resentment or we can be adults and have an intelligent discourse about it. We not all agree in the end but at least respect each other's pov. It's not really fair that Harlem had to wait for a white influx to get basic needs met but this is the USA and it is what it is. It's also not fair that white people can't walk down a city block without being harrassed but it has been the history of other races for centuries...not very comfortable. Imagine every day of your life being that uncomfortable. Perhaps it is driving us closer to understanding each other's plights. People are discovering quicking that most black really don't have the cooties! [that was my attempt at sacastic humor]
Cocoa Girl - i hear you and i guess it's good to know the truth. but i think you can rest assured that even though there is an increase in the amount of white people in harlem - harlem's past, present and future is largely african american. as a white person who's just bought in harlem, i recognize and respect that, and dont want or expect it to change. yes there may be a lightening of harlem, but it will never be white. at least that's my estimate of what's going on. it will likely be the opposite of places like the west village or upper west side or chelsea-which is currently largely white, with other groups represented in the minority. harlem will remain largely african american, with other groups represented in the minority. but im cursious if others on this board agree?
Cocoa girl,
Ivy blacks, poor whites, marginalized blacks, middle class whites, the uneducated, the privileged, get used to it.
This is New York City, there are no oasis, we share the same sidewalk, subways, buses etc etc.
If you want to live in this great city, you have to be prepared to get along.
Or you can be a seething angry unhappy person.
Maybe if anyone wants an oasis, New York is not the place.
Harlemwhite
11:17 AM
I walk down the block every day without being harassed.
Harlemwhite
Harlemwhite -- my wife IS harassed all the time. I am harrassed once in a while (but not too much)
Folks NEED to talk about this stuff...
Let’s do get it all out in the open.
the issue here is APATHY.
Unfortunately Harlem has become synonymous with that apathy... and for some strange reason, it is to an extent, tolerated.
The "It's just Harlem, that's how it is" explanation is bullshit.
(feel free to correct me here…)
You should hear my corner bodega owner (who is Arabic) talk about it as he is belittled, verbally abused and stolen from as a rule. (I hear “Hey Osama, where the fuck’s my chop cheese??”)
Certainly apathy exists everywhere, but in Harlem, the apathy can be overwhelming.
Yes, Harlem has been an oasis. An oasis of bad behavior.
(you can debate why, racist police and political issues, perhaps – so many sad and unfortunate stories and history here)
Other races (not just white) dont tolerate the bullshit the same way though. Now that others are moving in (including Buppies), things are going to change… possibly painfully, but that’s how things go.
Yes I love Harlem, but yes I am frustrated. My wife is sick of the cat calls (which happen all the time), and gunshots outside our window.
Part of the problem is bad social behavior has been institutionalized and romanticized and has been accepted as the "way it is" That's bullshit. It's not racial, it's not "how you have to be to survive on the streets/in the hood etc" it's simply bad behavior.
These negative behaviors (again mostly by males under 25) are unfortunately overshadowing the WONDERFUL aspects of Harlem.
(reasons for this have already been debated, so I wont go there)
Dont get me wrong by all of this -- I do enjoy living in Harlem, and I do enjoy the people. I enjoy the loud music, I enjoy people bar-b-q'ing on the sidewalk. I enjoy the history and I enjoy the fact that "folks" still live here -- it's one of the last areas in Manhattan where everyday "folks" actually live. I truly love the vibrance.
I just want it to be a bit more livable… and slowly but surely, it is getting that way. (but unfortunately more livable = more expensive)
Bad behavior and apathy wont be tolerated... it’s not cool, it’s not cultural, it’s just simply bad behavior – and is the reason a 14 year old is going to be tried as an adult for a hate crime and will probably be made an example of -- which is sad, as CocoaGirl said, might not be right.
Cocoa girl,
It is sad but some New Yorkers do choose to live and stick with their own kind, they are missing so much.
Some Harlemites have to get used to a more mixed neighborhood.
However, most Harlem people I meet are very cool with outsiders.
Let us not forget the terrible loss to the family and friends of Mr. Hehman.
Harlemwhite
Anon 12:53 I have disagree with your assertion that "Unfortunately Harlem has become synonymous with that apathy." On whose part because the RESIDENTS who have always lived in Harlem are not apathatic. Actually, if you look around at the organizations, churches and programs in the community you would find that Harlem is quite pro-active. I hear the people on the corners just hanging out having some deep and interesting conversations about political and world affairs every day. So they throw in a few curse words, but that is their form of dialogue. How many "outsiders" have tried to really get to know Harlem? I mean by mentoring, joining a church or volunteering?
Anon 12:53 has written a whole disertation yet has moved into a community with preconceived notions. You can look at the glass half-full or half-empty. I look at it half-full.
How many times have I gone into a bodega and had an A-rab be disrespect towards me selling sub-standard merchandise and exploiting young girls (another discussion for another day) because of the color of my skin which isn't too far from his? Don't drag them into this discussion because how many of them live in the community yet exploit it selling "loosies," blunts and malt liquor to kids? Talk about opening up a can of worms, baby! Let's just put it all out there.
You just contradicted yourself with the following statement
"Dont get me wrong by all of this -- I do enjoy living in Harlem, and I do enjoy the people. I enjoy the loud music, I enjoy people bar-b-q'ing on the sidewalk. I enjoy the history and I enjoy the fact that "folks" still live here -- it's one of the last areas in Manhattan where everyday "folks" actually live. I truly love the vibrance.
I just want it to be a bit more livable… and slowly but surely, it is getting that way. (but unfortunately more livable = more expensive)" because I suspect that to you "more livable" means the opposite of everything you just pointed out. More livable means you want a W. 80s lifestyle on a Harlem budget. Sorry bud, doesn't work that way. Give and take, baby. That's what people in Harlem, Brooklyn and other areas have had to deal with for years. Either move or do something about it. Personally, I volunteer and mentor in the community with both kids and adults. I report health and noise violations that affect the quality of life in my neighborhood. Are you proactive or inactive? Maybe you have become part of the problem of apathy? Not a person dig, just something to consider.
12:53 PM,
Sorry to hear you and your wife have to suffer so much bad behavior.
Also, I know exactly what you mean by bad behavior and the way it is accepted.
However, mine and my female friends experience is very little bad behavior and mostly warm friendly behavior.
Also my block is almost exclusively original local people who I value as neighbors.
Also, the under 25 males I find to be respectful.
I guess your bad behavior element will slowly move on.
Harlemwhite
And another thing, you moved into a neighborhood that you knew was troubled then you state the obvious. Do you think that residents weren't already complaining about the conditions they were living in? Perhaps a deaf ear was turned...hmmm, let's do some research and find out.
And while we are on the topic of race, class and bodegas read this post written by a white person living in Harlem:
http://drunkbrunch.blogspot.com/2006/02/sugar-high.html
Reposting link
Sugar High
This is 12:53 again--
Thanks for your responses.
Again, I was speaking out of frustration. I do enjoy Harlem... part of where this was going was to a previous post referring to "141" who summed up a lot... referring to "Blood in the Streets" and the bad behavior being "just how it is" in Harlem.
Most of my experiences have been wonderful, but it is those negative ones which are forefront in my mind (as they are both recent and are related to the recent media attention)
1:27-- More livable absolutely does NOT mean a W. 80's lifestyle. No no no. This is NOT an "us and them" situation -- and the APATHY keeps it as so.
"More livable" means respect towards your neighbors and no gunplay. You SHOULD NOT have to pay for that. Those are rights, not purchased privileges -- and those who think they should be in different neighborhoods (regardless of if they actually are) are rationalizing the bad behavior. There can be no "give and take". No way. No leeway for disrespect.
Why should things be different between the W 80's and Harlem????
...that's the issue.
You quoted me as contradicting myself --
I merely mentioned both sides of the issue, as I am torn. I like Harlem a lot, but I am getting a bit frustrated.
I am not moving, and I too am doing what I can to make things better. One thing in particular is that I go out of my way to patronize local businesses and get to know their proprietors. I've lived here for a while, and I have seen (and feel I have been part of) lots of progress. Things just get frustrating sometimes.
Now, 1:27, It sounds like you are doing a lot which is wonderful... after all this is OUR community. I personally thank you for those efforts!! Seriously.
Cocoa Girl- I agree with you 100%. You tell the story in a very eloquent way. You are right, there are such positive things here – (and I was grumbling and highlighting the negative, which is not always productive)
To the "outside world" Harlem IS indeed synonymous with Apathy. UNFORTUNATELY -- regardless of the reality -- which is why those kids are being made examples of -- and every news reporter emphasizes HARLEM HARLEM HARLEM)
I've lived in similar neighborhoods in other cities and the thing that is different about Harlem is this notion that because it is known as an African-American neighborhood then a certain amount of nonsense is to be expected, then therefore tolerated.
I completely disagree with that notion. We owe it to ourselves, our neighbors, and our neighborhood to NOT overlook or dismiss this stuff. Safety should not be something that only belongs to the west 80's.
When I lived in a similar neighborhood in another city, there was a VERY strong and successful "Neighborhood Watch" program that was run by the community. Is there such a thing here? Not that I've found... I've also found the local police precinct to be be... well... apathetic.
Cocoa Girl has it right. What can we do as community to make things better in a more positive light?
Lets brainstorm... and perhaps let everyone know if there are programs that are indeed already happening.
I dont want to remove anybody from this neighborhood... I dont want it to become more rich or more white. I definitely dont want to obscure its vibrant history.
I do however want fresh produce, and for my wife to be a bit more comfortable tho (and no, she's not one of "those") and to end the gunshots that I hear now and then (which were right under my window the other night)
Is that too much to ask?
-Harlem Utopia
Sadly what it all balls down to is, theres always been violence in Harlem. Sometimes victims were chosen because of their race sometimes it was something else but there was always crime.
I've lived in Harlem My entire life, most of my friends have died in Harlem. It's nothing new it's just a few years back when someone got killed in Harlem nobody cared. No news cameras. No front page. For example On august 10, 1993 a 25 year old man was shot twice in the head in front of the state building on 125street and 7th ave in front of hundreds of people. It didn't even make the blotter. So the violence have been here , other people are just seeing it or being the victims of it because no matter how pretty you make the new buildings your still in Harlem. So don't take it personal and welcome to the neighborhood.
nycobo: the chance of getting shot on 14th sreet was pretty high in 1993 so don't feel special. The murder rate has dropped by 75% since then so please enough of the "welcome to the neighbourhood" bullshit. Harlem has changed utterly since then and it will continue to change. Clearly some people have a problem with that but in the end noone can turn the tide back. This poor guy being murdered was a random fluke.
no matter how hard you try you cant convince white folks about the way harlem is and always will be. (We have accepted that everything has been substandard already, things weve had to deal with all our lives.
If youre not black, grown and raised in harlem, you wont ever understand!
If one thing harlem newcomers are learning, is how black people are and sometimes forced to live in hoods all over the country. The gunshots, robberies, fucked up produce, things like this happens in harlem, yes its a mentality, a harlem mentality that has been here for generations, and will be hard to break. yes, im telling you to accept it. you're in our hood, remember?
Anon at 8:14PM
Harlem is another Manhattan neighborhood, it changes just like all a others.
If you haven’t noticed, it has changed considerably in that last few years.
Now it is also becoming more mixed racially and economically.
Now there much are less gunshots robberies and better produce, becoming comparable with many other neighborhoods in Manhattan.
See police crime stats.
See Fairway, Pathmark, Citarella etc.
Things are changing; you have to accept it, you live in Manhattan, remember?
wow temper temper. "that welcome to the neighborhood bull???" I'm never much for words, but you'll see. Its getting Warm so you'll see soon what i was trying to say. Be safe.
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