Battle Ground by Jameelah Lewis
Battle ground.
My mom aint never raised no punk, so why would I run?
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
The subtle patterns of people running away to catch their breath.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
As the smoke in the sky pollutes our lungs and steals our air.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
We stand in solidarity against police brutality.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
They bring out the snipers and set the stage to make us flea.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Move back, Move back, Move back they chant and chant.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
Running from the monsters chasing us with batons.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“It’s our first amendment right to be here.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Go home or we will be forced to remove you.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
Helicopters circle above us.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
The SWAT trucks start to roll in.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
Police pull up in busses to haul us off.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
Ripping people out of their cars.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
Driving through crowds of people.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Grab anyone! Grab anyone!”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Stop let him go!”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Leave us alone please, I’m sorry I’m sorry.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Stop fucking resisting!”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Grab my sign!”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Let her go and leave her alone.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“Go ahead and shoot me, I’m willing to die.”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
“I just want my mom!!!!”
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
And still this rings in my head.
I’m not afraid, I’m not scared; I’m not afraid, I’m not scared; I’m not afraid, I’m not scared.
This is my arrest experience.This is not all of it and I am still coping. This is not singular to me. It is okay to be scared, to be worried, to cry! In this time I know I am not the only person working through the trauma of being arrested, of being terrorized and being degraded. There is a community of us and you reading this are not alone. You are not a punk and it is okay to mourn an amerikkka that has already claimed you as dead.
Jameelah Lewis is one of the newest members of The RCC team and The PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) Coordinator/ Advocate. Jameelah started with The RCC in December 2019, with a passion to make an impact on the criminal justice system and her community. After graduating in 2018 from UNLV with her BA in Criminal Justice, she wrote that her passions lie in communal restoration and transformative justice work. Thus, having the ability to work in the capacity in which she does is a dream come true. In fact, 2 years ago, Jameelah wrote a note in her cellphone underling what her dream job would be, and today she actually gets to do it. Jameelah has committed herself to this work and commitment to liberate Black people. In these efforts to fight for liberty, Jameelah was arrested May 29th by Las Vegas Metro Police Department. For the first time ever Jameelah saw and experienced what her clients go through, and it was through this experience that her newest vision developed.
Through her involvement with The Justice Arts Coalition, Jameelah is now developing a six week program for survivors of sexual abuse and manipulation to share their experiences through a variety of art projects.
The piece shared today is personal, highlighting the moments before her abduction, and will be used to encourage others to share their truths as well. You can keep up with her by following The Rape Crisis Center Las Vegas.
Even officers who are fired for misconduct are frequently rehired. The police officer in Cleveland, Ohio, who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 had previously resigned from another police department after it had deemed him unfit to serve. The Cleveland police did not review the officer’s personnel file before hiring him, The New York Times reported in 2015. An investigation of public records from Florida showed that about 3% of that state’s police force had previously been fired or had resigned in lieu of being dismissed. The study, published in May, found that these officers tended to move to smaller agencies which served a slightly larger proportion of Black residents, but with no significant difference in crime rates. They also appeared to be more likely to commit misconduct in the future compared to officers who had never been fired. Thank you for being thoughtful and strong about sharing these very interesting and enlightening pieces of information that you artistically crafted and formed into a poem!