Red, White, and Brute: Angel Rosenthal- Not the First Victim in Seattle Racial Incidents

While I'm several days late speaking out about the police incident in Seattle, I've had the opportunity to read up on the story and do some research of my own.


What the People Want:  Seattle, Washington- Caucasian police officer Ian P. Walsh punched under-aged African American female, Angel Rosenthal, during a routine jaywalking citation.  Walsh used brute force to end the escalation of a two-on-one violent situation.  Rosenthal, age 17, was struck in the face when coming to the defense of 19 year old Marilyn Levias, who was resisting apprehension.  Later, Rosenthal's violent behavior was backed by a series of revelations including the recent death of her mother, and a criminal background in theft, robbery, and now assault.  Rosenthal was charged in the incident, and Walsh, re-assigned until further investigation is completed.  A review of police training in jaywalking situations has also been issued for the Seattle Police Department.  

Jennifer Shaw, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, said in a written statement that Monday's incident wasn't an isolated one.  The SPD has a long history of allowing jaywalking citations to escalate into use-of-force situations," Shaw said. "The pattern is very predictable: The officer sees a jaywalker, orders the person to come to him, gets angry when the jaywalker either doesn't respond or argues, and ends up either in a physical confrontation or an arrest for an obstruction charge or both."-The Seattle Times 6.16.2010

That's the story.
And now for the...
NiqSpeaks' Perspective

When I first heard about this story and watched the footage, several thoughts came to mind.  Why would a cop just punch a girl in the face?  Why are those girls so aggressive towards the police?  How come it rains so much in Northern Washington, but never in Southern California?  How come Washington state links with Montana, Arizona, Vermont and Wisconsin in my head?  Wait, what are black people doing in Washington?  And that's the question that started my research. 

Back in 1940, just seventy years ago, the "Emerald City" only had a 4% non-white population.  The city flourished due to a $5.6 million economic gold mine known as government issued wartime contracts, and in 1941, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, which forbade discrimination in firms with these government contracts  This order catapulted Seattle's minority population to over 10,000 by 1945. 

 

President  Roosevelt's Executive Order 8802- Roosevelt

In an effort to keep Seattle segregated, secret covenants were placed inside deeds across Seattle barring the sale or rental of certain homes to non-Whites and people of Irish descent.  It wasn't until the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (prohibited discrimination of sale, rental, and financing of dwellings and other housing related transactions based on race, color, national, origin, religion, or sex) that Seattle was held legally responsible to cease its segregation tactics.  Even after this, black families were often discouraged from living in these primarily white neighborhoods by area leaders and real estate agencies, and when these discouragements went unheeded, local utilities would "accidentally" shut off services to these non-white inhabited homes.

  Open Housing Sit-in at Mayor's Office, July 3, 1964 

http://tinyurl.com/OpenHousingAct

At the end of the 1960s, the Black Panther Party movement emerged in Seattle, after 17 year old Welton Butch Armstead was shot and killed by police.  While the Seattle Police Department claimed that their officer acted in self-defense, the BPP argued that the shooting was intentional, and should be identified as a homicide.  During the parties' brief establishment, they built health clinics and sponsored feeding programs for low income families, in addition to rallying and protesting social injustices throughout the city. The BPP had a short lived existence in the emerald city, migrating to Oakland, California headquarters in 1972 to help with awareness efforts.

 Left: Black Panther Party Headline News, 1968 

 Right: Seattle Magazine Cover, Oct. 1968 

Bottom Center: Seattle Times Headline News, Oct. 19, 1968

University of Washington. Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

In my own understanding of the duties of law enforcement, and the activities in which they actually partake, I know enough to realize that as an African-American, I can't raise my voice in anger, or even think to raise my hand at a police officer.  I understand that cameras are placed inside police vehicles for the protection of the police and the nation's citizens, but I also understand that as easily as footage can be recorded, it can be altered, edited, and destroyed, if need be.  I just can't bring myself to understand why these girls would try to fight the office instead of taking the citation and fighting it later.  Even more confounding to me is why the officer would decide to Superman punch Rosenthal in the face, while a crowd of onlookers recorded the situation.  Wasn't there a better way to respond that situation?  Did his nerves get the best of him?  Or his badge?

While all three parties in this matter were wrong for their actions, the issue goes far deeper, and until the mindsets of both non-white and white citizens of Seattle can be re-conditioned, I fear this won't be the last incident of its kind.

Signing off in the in the spirit of peace and love,

~Niq