Najee Ali
The civil rights activist on immigration, medical conditions in jail, and praying for Paris Hilton
Early in 2007, when 12 black teens were prosecuted for beating three white women on Halloween Night in Long Beach, and nine of them convicted, Najee Ali was the only black activist to support the prosecution's assertion that this was a hate crime. That was a remarkable stance for a gadfly who has gained national prominence as a civil rights activist, most recently supporting black residents in the Harbor Gateway and Highland Park neighborhoods against Latino gangs with a racial cleansing agenda - even while he was co-founding, with Christine Chavez and Rev. Al Sharpton, the Latino/African American Leadership Alliance to unite poor minorities around what he sees as the big picture. But the founder of civil rights organization Project Islamic Hope has made it his business to confound expectations.
For instance, last week, Ali suddenly popped up in the news again as part of the media blitz around the Paris Hilton jail-time controversy, telling ABC News that, while he would pray for the Hilton family, "I think justice was served. It helps restore the public confidence that was eroding nationally with the star-struck judicial system." Instead of using it as a way to attack the county system as racist - as Al Sharpton did - Ali used the Hilton incident as an opportunity, bundling himself and others over to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. "We asked that the board conduct a probe of how many incarcerated women have medical conditions that warrant being reassigned to home custody for medical treatment." That might lead to some real change benefiting everyone.
-Annette Stark
CityBeat: You are a frequent guest on FOX News. Were conservatives like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity surprised at your unpredictable, sometimes moderate positions?
Najee Ali: They were shocked. In fact, recently, they have even complimented me about being the black leader of reason who can come on and debate with them and have a point of view that, even if they don't agree, at least they can respect. The best example is in the Long Beach hate crime incident.
You went it alone on that one.
I'll say it like this: I was completely alone. There was no black leader in the nation who was listening. No organization that stood with me. It didn't matter, because I believe very strongly in defending people regardless of their racial background.
Sharpton says Paris Hilton's early release is about race, but you said it was about celebrity and money.
I've worked with Rev. Sharpton since the Rodney King days, when he came out to support L.A. activists who organized against police brutality. And he has his share of critics, as all prominent activists do. But he's become one of the most important voices of the generation. I respect his leadership, but I may not always agree with every position. There have been high-profile black celebrities who have received preferential treatment. Michael Jackson was allowed to come to court late several times. Once in his pajamas. Halle Berry had a hit-and-run where she drove herself home and was never arrested. This is a star-struck judicial system. Sharpton felt the same way but added race to the situation.
So you agreed to disagree?
The media was focused on the racial aspect, which Sharpton interjected. I didn't speak out, offer a dissenting point of view. That way we could be unified on the bigger issue, which was Sharpton trying to highlight the preferential treatment, which we both agree upon. The L.A. County jail has hundreds of thousands of inmates suffering much more serious illnesses, such as AIDS, heart problems, seizures. Paris Hilton's release from jail was unprecedented. There are inmates with serious illnesses who are never released from custody to receive medical treatment from an outside facility.
But isn't that like saying you also support Paris Hilton's early release?
Our argument was that Paris Hilton was able to get a free get-out-of-jail card. And someone needs to be an advocate and a voice for the thousands or poor and voiceless who are in need of medical treatment, also. When I visited the prisons, I witnessed an elderly Latino man fall out and have a seizure. In fact, the Sheriff's Department has a reputation where they will let you die in jail before you're sent home early.
Of course, there are folks who will say, "Hey, they're in prison and they're criminals. Who cares what kind of medical care they get?"
We should care because once we start showing indifference to how our fellow human beings are treated then we become as a society no better than those who would turn a deaf ear to atrocities in the Sudan, Rwanda, and other Third World countries.
You have been encouraging people to pray for Paris Hilton?
At the court, when her mom came out crying I gave her my concerns. In fact, Paris Hilton has given us activists a national platform to expose the disparity in the health care and poor treatment of inmates in L.A. County's jail system And I plan on reaching back out to the Hilton family and asking Paris and her family to get involved in the Cheryl Greene foundation.
Do you blame Sheriff Baca for this?
At the end of the day, he made that horrendous decision, but I never questioned that his heart was in the right place. Baca is one of the most progressive law enforcement leaders in this nation. He has compassion and concern for all people, regardless of their status. He's done everything to help the homeless who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. He's met with gang leaders. I was one of the leaders he met with when there was racial violence in L.A. County jail. I have never questioned Baca's integrality.
In your viewpoint, what will be the outcome of the MacArthur Park melee?
In my view, it showed the whole nation - and, more importantly, the media that always bent over backwards to defend the LAPD - that there is a culture of violence ingrained in the Department. I've said it for the last 10 years. There are some problem officers who, when challenged, are quick to respond with violence. And they don't care who you are. Once the media received the beat-down, that story is now being told.
As I continue to grow as an activist, I'm beginning to understand that this department is not as racist as some black activists have claimed. I think the May Day incident highlighted the fact that we have some officers who are poorly trained and they get caught up in a frenzy once they are confronted with any type of chaos. In the May Day beatings, they didn't discriminate. They beat people of all persuasions.
Are you concerned that the African-American population in L.A. is diminishing?
That is a great concern. One of the reasons Christine Chavez and I founded the African American Alliance was to work on issues that impacted both ethnic groups - the Latino population continues to surpass the African American population. We don't want to be left behind.
You want folks to stop fighting over turf when there are larger issues, like immigration?
Clearly much larger. And that is what the alliance is trying to do, draw attention to issues that affect us all. When we went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, we found undocumented immigrants who were afraid to even come out for water, food, or clothing for fear of being deported. We need an immigration policy that is humane to everyone involved.
Published: 06/14/2007
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