10,000 Men With No Place To Go.

10,000 Men, a volunteer organization of black men who pledged to police their Philadelphia neighborhoods in order to dent the city’s intractable murder rate, got tons of press coverage last fall when its legions were set to hit the streets. But since then, the group has been bogged down, and enthusiastic volunteers have been left scratching their heads.

(Sounds like everything else Wyclef’s involved in! Okay. That ain’t ‘Clef. But it could be, right?)

More than five months after [former police commission Sylvester Johnson’s] announcement, why can’t [volunteer] Mark Ensley find the 10,000 Men? Simple: The movement has been marred by declining momentum, poor communication and shoddy organization. It’s not that they’ve given up; they haven’t. But the difference between the movement at the Liacouras Center and the movement today is drastic. As Ensley said, “This is too important not to do right.”

The project’s organizers were so hyped about this idea that in the month after the…rally, they wouldn’t tolerate basic questions of logistics. Consider what happened a week after the Daily News ran the mid-October editorial “Nine Concerns We Have About 10,000 Men.” It began by saying, “Of course we hope it works,” and raised a few good points, like No. 4: “Encouraging unarmed men to intervene in conflicts between people with guns is not only naive, but dangerous.” About a dozen representatives from the movement — including Gamble, radio executive E. Steven Collins and spokesman Norm Bond — walked in to the Daily News offices and accused its staff, in a roundabout way, of being “an enemy of the African-American community,” as columnist Stu Bykofsky put it. “It seemed to me almost as if we didn’t have a right to ask questions,” Byko later said.

Can You Find the 10,000 Men? [Philadelphia City Paper]

G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.
  • Troy

    This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard of in ages. There are supposed to be agencies in place to thwart or at the very least control this type of behavior. That we have to resort to 10,000 citizens to put themselves in harm’s way to do it is sad.

  • You mean the police? I think you underestimate the scope of the problem in Philadelphia. It’s hard to police in neighborhoods where people actively dislike the police.

  • Troy

    I think that notion that people dislike the police is a misrepresentation. I don’t particualarly like the police, but that’s not what would stop me from cooperating with authorities. Fear of possible retaliation for cooperating probably would, though. Which bears asking why can’t authorities do more to protect people who would be willing to risk harm to themselves and their families by doing the right thing?

  • Troy: I’m from South Philly and I’m telling you: people don’t like the police. The police of Philadelphia have a very sordid history, so that suspicion is well-earned. People who are antagonized or contemptuous of police officers are not gonna cooperate with them. When you live in a neighborhood where everyone knows who you are, there are more social disincentives to cooperation with the police than not — even if the city staffed and funded witness protection units very well.

    Philadelphia is instituting a stop-and-frisk policy that’s worked almost everywhere else, but might be politically untenable in Philadelphia.

  • K.

    I didn’t know you were from Philly. Southwest Philly in the house! LOL. I agree with Troy though — the lack of cooperation w/ police due to some “stop snitching” thing is sensationalized by the media. The fact is that the average working person in the community is afraid to be targeted by those they testify against. The community problems are much more complex than any one organization can handle. I think we need a serious shift in accepted cultural norms in the community to REALLY see change.

  • 24th and Christian! Small world.

    But to your point…

    “the lack of cooperation w/ police due to some “stop snitching” thing is sensationalized by the media. The fact is that the average working person in the community is afraid to be targeted by those they testify against.”

    So it’s sensationalized but it’s true? The ‘stop snitching’ thing *is* about retaliation for testifying.

  • LH

    I can’t imagine this working in theory or in practice. Manpower or the lack thereof isn’t the problem.

  • K.

    “Stop Snitching” is about a culture of gangsters and faux gangsters. It’s about upholding the “G-code” so that they can continue to do what they do. I think it’s unfair to lump regular working people who just may be afraid to testify with that group. They are not part of that ‘movement’ — they just want to stay alive. Witness protection is a joke, at least around these parts.

  • deadbrokedad

    G.D. to state, “People don’t like police” is irresponsible. “Some people” for reasons good and bad don’t like/respect police. However, your “debate” of this issue in regards to the 10,000 men rally/initiative is moot since one of the main organizers was the Police Commissioner!

    Rather than dwell on who likes police and who doesn’t, where are the 10,000 men now, etc. what are YOU going to do? I’m sure you can find at least one young boy on your block to mentor. Each one reach one! He may just be that ONE kid you turn from a dark road in life to a brighter one.

    I read the article regarding the 10,000 men and there were a lot of valid points and facts. However, instead of jumping on the bandwagon of pointing fingers and blame towards the failures of others – step up to the plate and DO something. Nothing beats a failure but trying!

    This rhetoric back and forth only further discourages others who may want to make a change. Fear is a powerful vehicle and drives through every nook and cranny of Black communities across this country; the fear to say no to drugs, stop snitching campaigns, better housing, employment and education.

    It’s been time for us to stop waiting for the “Great Black Leader” on the white shiny horse to save us and do it our damn selves.

    Don’t talk about it – be about it! Hold meetings with the D.A.’s office regarding witness protection, contact your congressmen and senators annd tell them to move on issues that are important to you and your community or they will be moving out of office next “election” term. Which brings another quick topic -VOTE! Exercise your rights to vote – your voice does matter – there is power in numbers and our numbers can surpass 10,000 when we join together!!

    Peace

  • LH

    K., I think there are working people who’ve joined the ‘Stop Snitching’ movement. Their reasons are different from the gangsters, real and studio, but harmful nonetheless.

    It’s easy for me to say this, but if snitching became the norm, the criminals would have to shut it down or find somewhere else to set up shop.

  • Deadbrokedead: Again with all the speechifying…you misinterpreted my response. Troy’s original point was that the 10,000 men were doing something that was supposedly the purview of a government agency (the PPD, in this case). My response was that cooperation with police officers is anathema to a lot of folks in Philly’s worst neighborhoods — even the ones who aren’t engaged in criminal activity. 10,000 Men would be performing a function the police cannot.

  • LH: Their reasons (personal safety in most cases) are the most compelling reasons for non-cooperation.

  • deadbrokedad

    G.D. – I’m not “speechifying” as you put it. Your response to Troy was “I’m from South Philly and I’m telling you: people don’t like the police” and I responded accordingly. I’m from south philly too and I do not dislike police officers. Hence the reason for my post. You can’t speak for an entire community.

    Now aside from that…the problems still exist. What are WE as Black men going to do? Debate about it? Wait for another “movement” or so-called leader?

    It’s not about man power as someone posted – it’s about the power within the man. Use it help others that’s all I’m saying.

  • Deadbrokedad: What exactly are you disagreeing with again? It’s great that you’ve no issue with the police. I’m sure tons of people don’t. But there are people who have very, very fraught relationships with the PPD. Is that untrue? Is that inaccurate? Did I somehow mischaracterize the obstacles police officers face in policing inner cities? Lemme know where.

  • LH

    deadbrokedad: It was I who said it’s about manpower and no matter how you spin it, it is.

    I’m not in South Philly but I have a sense of what’s happening there based on what I’ve read. I’d be interested to get your ideas on specifically what black men should do to help.