Enough is Enough: The death of Johnny Gammage
"Keith, Keith, I'm only 31!" Those were the last words of Johnny Gammage, a black motorist who died just inside the city limits of Pittsburgh, when he was pulled over by police from from some of the Steel City's wealthiest, whitest suburbs, some time between 1:47 and 2:10 AM, October 12th, 1995. It made national headlines at the time, but now you won't even find "Johnny Gammage" in Wikipedia.
I was at the rally after the five police officers who killed Johnny Gammage were found not guilty. I was suppose to be a featured speaker at our annual homeless rights march but gave my poem Suits to a member of WellSpring Drop-Inn Center to read for me instead. I felt it was more important at the time to support my friends in the Black Community. Johnny Gammage wasn't the first man killed by police in Pittsburgh and won't be the last. At one time there was a big sign on the local NAACP headquarters with the names of thirteen men gunned down or otherwise killed by the cops. The bottom of the sign read in big red letters Will You Be Next?
I was at the rally after the five police officers who killed Johnny Gammage were found not guilty. I was suppose to be a featured speaker at our annual homeless rights march but gave my poem Suits to a member of WellSpring Drop-Inn Center to read for me instead. I felt it was more important at the time to support my friends in the Black Community. Johnny Gammage wasn't the first man killed by police in Pittsburgh and won't be the last. At one time there was a big sign on the local NAACP headquarters with the names of thirteen men gunned down or otherwise killed by the cops. The bottom of the sign read in big red letters Will You Be Next?
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