Black Lives Matter Sacramento

On March 17th, 2017 Desmond Phillips was murdered by the Chico Police Department. 

For the last couple years, Black Lives Matter Sacramento has been looking for space. At first we looked for office space. After learning that you will spend a grip every month for a small office, we decided to look for home rentals to get more space for our money. We almost went through with it. Got denied from a few places and kinda gave up. Then time went on and George Floyd was murdered...

Gabby Nevarez's life was stolen from her and those that love her, on March 2nd 2014. 

(Update: 2/17/2021 4:30pm: While citing the sources for this article, it appears that the Rocklin Police Department removed the audio records from the internet. Will pursue these recordings and update once they are re-released)

On February 25th 2017, Lorenzo Cruz was taken from his family allegedly by the Rocklin Police Department. We say “allegedly” because a lot of the facts are still unclear and the story has changed numerous times. 

On January 15th 2021, the Sacramento Sheriff Department's Gang Suppression Unit murdered Kershawn Geyger. In the information coming from the Sheriff department, an officer was also shot but in good condition and released. The Sheriff department never stated that Kershawn had a gun or that an officer was shot by the victim or his passenger. Something they would have made sure to do if this was in fact true. The department only gave info that implied this. 

As I scroll through the mangerie of social media, I find that I’m filled with a roller coaster of emotions. Be it laughter and a smile from Black boy/girl joy and magic videos, or ponderment as to how people are seemingly living as per usual in these trying times. So on the one hand as I’m presented with this Black magical joy… but contemplation, I’m overwhelmingly filled with sadness and anger (and more so NOW, than ever)! Like when I read another White male domestic terrorist is treated as though his bombing act was benign. To only then read, yet another Black man “fits the description”; and is hand cuffed in front of his children while eating lunch at the mall. Then unjustly escorted outside, to be told later that he wasn't the one. WTF?!

Police unjustly detaining Jamar Mackey. Lynnhaven Mall, Virginia Beach

Public Statement

Black Lives Matter Sacramento releases the following statement in response to the November 27th, 2020 shooting at Arden Fair Mall.

November 30, 2020

We offer our sincere condolences to the family members of Dewayne James Jr. and Sa'Quan Reed-James. It is unconscionable that a family should have to bury their youthful loved ones this holiday season. The shooting deaths of the 19 and 17 year old were entirely preventable. We are calling on Arden Fair Mall to take ownership of its neglected duty to protect its patrons.

I'm going to have to rewind a little before I tell you what happened recently...

Remember back in June of 2019 when we told you about three 13 year old boys walking to McDonalds in the middle of the morning while talking to one of their fathers on speaker phone, getting some positive words for the day, had a gun pulled out on them by Officer Verk with the Sacramento Police Department? They described it as him "having his finger on the trigger while his hands shook." They didn't actually fit the description of the folks Verk was looking for, and this was the first time any of them had been traumatized by police. 

Full Story and Video From June 21, 2019 Here

One of the boys in particular has had to have therapy. It took a long time for him to want to go outside with his friends and just do pre-teen things. He didn't want to walk anywhere, and has slowly had to heal from that...

Well guess what happened...

This piece seeks to deeply examine how much we have normalized the relationship with Black folx and death and yet the beautiful perseverance and creativity of Black folx amidst it all.

The piece is called "The Black boy and his purple jacket"...