Cincinnati, USA police kills unarmed people, film


This 2012 video says about itself:

Cincinnati Goddamn Video Compilation

Cincinnati Goddamn” is a feature-length documentary about police brutality, judicial misconduct, and the power of grassroots activism in Cincinnati, Ohio. The film focuses on the murders of Roger Owensby, Jr., and Timothy Thomas at the hands of Cincinnati Police.

Set against the backdrop of a successful economic boycott and a federal investigation into the city’s policing practices, this poignant and powerful story of injustice is told through first-person accounts and cinema verité footage of the surviving families’ long-suffering battle for justice.

From The Lantern in Ohio, USA:

“Cincinnati Goddamn” brings audience attention to police brutality and social change

By Japera Benson

September 3, 2015

With the riots in Ferguson, Missouri and the debate of Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter, the documentary “Cincinnati Goddamn” came at an opportune time. “Cincinnati Goddamn” covers 15 unarmed black men killed by the Cincinnati Police Department, primarily focusing on the untimely deaths of Roger Owensby Jr. and Timothy Thomas. Though taking place from 1995 to 2001, its relevance is still seen 14 years later.

This music video is called Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam. Recorded in the Netherlands in 1965.

The name of the film alludes to this Nina Simone song.

On Wednesday night, more than 1,000 people came to view the film at Ohio State’s Wexner Center for the Arts. The event was also live streamed at the Mansfield campus.

This film examined the negative relationship between the citizens of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Police Department. The film also covered the trials of the police officers charged with killing the men and the rioting that followed the officers’ acquittals. “Cincinnati Goddamn” followed the long-lasting impact of the victims’ families and, ultimately, the city of Cincinnati.

Following the film, there was a Q&A session with April Martin and Paul Hill, co-directors of the film; Iris Roley, a community activist and monitor of the Cincinnati Police-Community Collaborative Agreement; and Rhonda Williams, the director of the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University. Treva Lindsey — an OSU assistant professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies — served as the moderator.

During the Q&A session, Williams said they are looking for ways to enforce “education instead of militarization of police forces.”

Martin said that she hopes for “the police to be part of, or at least understand the community they work in.” Martin added that if that doesn’t work, “(we) can start to police our own communities.”

“Cincinnati really started it all and it really goes hand-in-hand with the events happening in Ferguson, Missouri,” said Ginette Rhodes, a first-year in exploration, that was in attendance.

Rhodes is from the St. Louis area herself. She noted that she thought the film was very powerful and that it should be used as an educational tool to help people understand police brutality and affect change.

Hannah Sanders, a first-year in business and a Cincinnati native, was also in attendance.

“I was only 3-years-old when it happened, so I’ve grown up hearing about it, but I’ve never seen it like that,” Sanders said.

Co-director Hill said he foresees “Cincinnati Goddamn” to be available on DVD or online sometime next year.

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, white people are coming to consciousness about white supremacy and looking for ways to take action for racial justice: here.

2 thoughts on “Cincinnati, USA police kills unarmed people, film

  1. Pingback: Akai Gurley killed, New York policeman convicted | Dear Kitty. Some blog

  2. Pingback: Charlotte, USA police video contradicts police version of Keith Scott’s death | Dear Kitty. Some blog

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