President Barack Obama chose Philadelphia and the NAACP 106th National Convention as the place and space to announce his criminal justice overhaul proposal.
More than 3,000, including many from Northwest Philadelphia, filled the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s ballroom Tuesday, July 14. There, he said he would focus on three places to implement criminal justice reform: the community, the courtroom and the cell block.
First, the president drew spontaneous applause when he said that best place to stop one from going to jail “was to begin before it starts.” After outlining the need for education, jobs and employment and early interventions, he said the judicial system has its part to play. He, again, drew applause when he noted that there should be fair sentencing and probation practices that fit the crime.
“We should not tolerate issues in prison in any civilized country,” Obama said.
He listed things like overcrowding, gang activity, solitary confinement, rape and even jokes about sexual assault “should not be part of our culture” and should be deemed “unacceptable.” Rather, he said, the prison system should recognize that prisoners will eventually leave jail and should gain the resources while there to be employable and contributing members of society. So, Obama said he supported “ban the box” to enable ex-offenders to get job interviews, and then the president garnered a scattered standing ovation when he said all prisoners should be allowed to vote after serving their time.
Among those who were pleased with the president’s speech was Abu Edwards, of Germantown, a Wilberforce University graduate. Edwards previously volunteered for the president’s 2012 re-election campaign after graduating college.
“I love everything in President Obama’s speech,” Edwards said. “He talked about changing the whole criminal justice system and reallocating the resources. When I heard him say what that $80 billion could be used for — universal pre-kindergarten, doubling teacher’s salaries — then I knew this is something that has to be done.
“I believe that instead of focusing on the federal level where Democrats and Republicans do not seem to be able to work together, it will be up to the local and state Democrats to lead the way to pass municipal and state laws first. If we can do it at that level, then eventually it could become the law for the country,” Edwards said.
Pauline Bostic, who has been a 40-year member of the NAACP Branch 2219 in Mid-Manhattan, said she felt this was one of the president’s strongest speeches. She said it “was like flipping on the light switch” to illuminate the crisis and the solution.
“President Obama is a brilliant man,” Bostic said. “He has an analytical mind. You can tell that he thought this through from every conceivable angle. This is something that is really going to make a difference for black folks and I believe that it can be done.” Continued…
