j.r. leonard

If you were a young black person in NY at that time you understood that there were “no go” zones for you and you knew that some would take up violence to keep you out. Yusef Hawkins was perhaps too young to get this. Or too innocent. Or too hopeful. His brutal murder laid it bare

Soon the world could see what we lived - this wasn’t a random act of violence. It was a barbarism that was deep seeded in community & the culture. So many of us started to shutdown the City to demand justice and to just be SEEN in our humanity by the law and fellow Americans

We tried to carry spirit of Yusef in our advocacy. We didn’t always succeed. Activists splintered. Communities frayed. Some exploited the moment. Others lost focus on justice. We learned how to deepen our commitment. Some attackers were jailed, but we didn’t approach true justice