Serving Social Justice From the community

by Posted on

I have had the privilege and honor to engaged students of the Juvenile Justice Center and San Francisco Police Academy Cadets.

Our conversations were about empathy, acceptance, accountability and LGBT experiences.

Youth trapped in jail for kids under the age of 18 are waiting for their cases to be adjudicated. I spoke, separately, to two groups of Black and Brown boys and one group of Black and Brown girls — all ages 14–19.

These important discussions were profoundly phenomenal. I am honored to participate in changing the hearts and minds of our youth and cadets. But to stand as an illustration that kids can indeed become anything they so choose. I’m available to speak at your future events.

“Activist Shaun Haines, a gay man who’s founder and president of SF Black Community Matters, asked the panel how the city was responding to the increased activity by the Ku Klux Klan, including distribution of literature and motorcyclists “with hoodies and hats” riding through the Western Addition, carrying flags with swastikas.

Full Story: Police offer tips to report hate crimes

 

Published 01/12/2017

by Sari Staver Bay Area Reporter

I accepted an appointment the San Francisco Police Departments Chief’s LGBT Advisory Forum — A voluntary forum comprised of unpaid community leaders, organizers and volunteers who provide a vital liaison between the city-wide LGBT community and the Chief of the San Francisco Police Department.

 “Far too often people of Color and LGBT communities are made to suffer indignities while a majority enjoys a privilege of respect and is often given a free pass that is counter-intuitive to the deliverance of true and unprejudiced justice. Our civil liberties, rights, freedoms and indeed our very lives should be not be trivialized or jeopardize by our justice system.

I have experienced my own brush with local law enforcement. The experience left me feeling dehumanized, angry and has made me reluctant to fully trust a system that is purposed to “Protect and Serve” because they have far too often done quite the polar opposite.”

Full Story: Injustice: Protect and Serve

by Shaun Haines

 

Like many of my friends, I am disturbed by the events in Ferguson. The situation of police harassment, abuse, brutality and unjustified manslaughter in this country is rampant and needs to end.