Common - A Letter to the Law

This past Thursday, former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the murder of Oscar Grant. To many people here in Oakland, the conviction of the smallest charge possible was a slap on the wrist. As one local activist put it, “The guilty verdict was one small step for black mankind — but what we need is a giant leap.” In this piece, legendary emcee Common speaks to the challenge and contradictions of police/community relations in cities across America.

THE SPOKEN WORD ARCHIVE