!*Racism without hoods...Jasmine Moore, RIP
Marpessa Kupendua
From: Michael Eisenscher <meise...@igc.org>
[This from a friend in Birmingham, Alabama.]
Michael.......
Here is a bit about the past weekend in Birmingham. Bad news
comes in weekends lately. 2 weekends ago the Klan rallied.
1 week ago, the anti-choice folks rallied. I thought that this weekend
would finally be one to get some rest. Yes, I know it happens on
weekdays too......
Below, is roughly written and might seem quite shrill, but it comes
from the heat of the moment..........
Saturday, 01/30/99 @ 08:30 AM
As we all know, the racism is in our midst without hoods as well....
Early Friday evening, a 4 year old, whom I only know as "Jasmine"
fell into a sewer hole and was swept into drainage pipes in the 5 Points
West area of town. Apparently this happened around 4:00 PM. At 10:45
PM, there were reports by at least two adults of hearing a child's voice
coming from the creek. By 11:00 PM (only 15 minutes later), the police
had called off the search! Jasmine was not a white child nor did she
carry an aristocratic name like Comer or DeBardeladen, nor was she
from the rich side of town. So the search was called off and she was
presumed to be dead. All day Saturday during light there were more
searches without results. But it was the community that mainly carried
out the search. On last night's 10:00 PM news broadcast, live from the
scene, the report was again that the search was again called off.
But dozens of community members were in the background, chanting
"We need help! We need help!"
So, we couldn't sleep after seeing this. We went to the area of the
search. There were about 20-30 people from the community, with little
to no rescue equipment except themselves. Nothing more than small
flashlights and their bodies. We waded up and down the sewer lines
and tunnels and the creek. No City searchlights to assist us. Glenda
Jo asked, "Where are the rescue teams?" and a man just out of his teens
said, "We're it!" The police and fire crews watched us but did not lend
a hand. They wouldn't even provide walkie-talkies for communications
while we were in the tunnels and drain pipes. We waded through muck
until after 02:00 AM. The family could not bare the thought that no one
was looking for Jasmine.
Can you imagine if this had happened in Mountain Brook? There would
have been crews, and dogs, and search lights, spot lights, small boats,
cranes, helicopters, organized teams, hoes, rakes, gloves, wading boots,
rain gear, shovels, picks, pruning shears, the works, and well-organized
crews of volunteers. The news never even acknowledged that the chants
were going on behind them. They kept reporting, as if to ignore what the
community was pleading for.
The precious soul of four year old Jasmine lies alone out there somewhere
because Klansmen don't always work with their hoods on.
E-mail post #02 to BHRP activists and supporters
Saturday, 01/30/99 @ 14:57
I have since learned that Jasmine's full name is Jasmine Moore.
There are several ways in which you can assist with the search effort:
(1) Muster up all your political clout and resources and call the public
officials whom you know and demand that they get a 24-hour active search
and rescue crew out there which should include, but not be limited to: The
National Guard, Search lights, search dogs, equipment and training for
volunteers, boats, etc. Survivors of some accidents have lived 10-16 days.
And, if Jasmine has not survived, her family cannot survive if they do not
know what happened to her.
(2) If you are able bodied, go to the search site, which is located on the
Bessemer side of the State Fair Grounds. At the 5 Points West intersection,
go to the old side entrance to the Fair Grounds which I believe is on Woodland
Avenue. There is a fire station there, and that is where the community is
conducting the search operation. If possible, bring rain boots or wading
gear, gloves, heavy jacket, pruning shears, and be prepared to get wet and
muddy. IF you're going at night, bring a flashlight or two.
The community chanted, "We need help! We need help!" If any of us made this
plea, we would want help andbe discouraged in humanity if our cry was not
answered. We must surely do the same for our neighbors in the West End area.
JASMINE, HER FAMILY & THE COMMUNITY NEED YOUR HELP NOW!
After all is said and done, we must analyze and resolve how this incident
could even happen and be handled in this fashion?
Why were neighbors' complaints about the open drain pits ignored before this
tragedy?
Why were the search and rescue efforts abandoned early on Friday and Saturday
evenings? Why was the community's pleas for assistance ignored? Why as a
progressive community do we readily see the need to respond in one fashion or
another when the KKK comes to the Courthouse steps, but as a community we are
silent and rather disorganized when Jarmine Moore's body has not been found?
Why do issues have to have bumper stickers and placards? Isn't "We need help
now!" enough to arouse us to action?
At 15:45 on Saturday, Jasmine Moore's body was found a couple of miles
downstream.
Now the city officials are passing the buck.
Many in the community feel betrayed.
I believe that this city did betray Jasmine.
Neglect kills just like a lynching.
More to follow.........