EASTHAMPTON – Mayor Nicole LaChapelle released an initial response to 01027: A Knee is Not Enough (AKINE), addressing their mission and demands.

AKINE is a community-based, grassroots group that was founded in partnership with Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, led by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). They believe that more than a symbolic gesture needs to happen in order to address issues of systemic bias, systemic violence, and systemic oppression.

Some of AKINE’s immediate demands included the public release information about the Easthampton Police Department (EPD) practices and policies to the community, regular meetings between EPD and community organizations including AKINE representatives, and an immediate ban on chokeholds and no-knock warrants.

Aside from policing, they want to work with Easthampton Public Schools (EPS). AKINE wants to have annual anti-racism and bias training in regard to education for all staff, curriculum review, and obtain school-based discipline records.

In her response, LaChapelle said, “Thank you to AKINE for distributing your mission and demands throughout the city, including my office. Your organization has begun a long-needed reformation conversation that acknowledges systemic bias and racism with government and school districts.”

Many Easthampton departments contributed information for the city’s response to each demand, she said.

The demands were addressed in order and answered with links to where they can find the information the group wishes to have, guidelines, and what laws are already in place or waiting to be passed. The complete response is available at www.facebook.com/notes/easthampton-police-department/initial-response-to-akine-demands.

“This initial response is just that – a beginning – guided by the My Brother’s Keeper Mayoral Pledge, signed June 3, 2020,” LaChapelle said.

LaChapelle also noted she had proposed a workgroup composed of AKINE and Community Relations Committee members to develop a community outreach and engagement plan to review current Easthampton Police Department use of force polices.

Members of AKINE are in the process of reviewing the information in LaChapelle’s response.

AKINE consists of 170 members and in the process of forming and activating nine working groups that will handle things such as graphic design, petition writing, and municipal engagement.

They began organizing on June 7, approximately one week after the Easthampton Kneels event. That event was organized by Easthampton’s police chief and the mayor. Residents were invited and encouraged to kneel in solitary for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to recognize the murder of George Floyd. Residents Myra Oyedemi and Jason Montgomery were at the event when they said they knew they had a role to play in order to continue the community engagement after residents stood up after the eight and a half minutes was over.

“After walking through Pulaski Park on my daily walk and reflecting on what transpired, I thought taking ‘A Knee is Not Enough.’ Action and transformation is needed. The signs and people were gone but the conversation still needed to continue” said Oyedemi.

Two days after the event, an open meeting was organized where community members and community allies sought to organize and mobilize to push Easthampton further to turn the symbolic kneeling gesture into a transformative change in their city.

“There was not clear communication of how to engage in community dialogue as a follow up to the symbolic kneeling event. As a newly formed group of community members, we did not want this event to be more than a photo opportunity, or a hollow symbol in light of the need for national and local dialogue and action that needed to take place between residents, elected officials and public sector servants,” Oyedemi said.

In AKINE demands and mission statement, it states, “We demand that the city of Easthampton commits to more than just a symbolic protest on behalf of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color in our city. Because police violence is an ever-present threat in our country and in our city, we demand that the city of Easthampton and the Easthampton Police Department commit to reallocating their resources, investing in our community and prioritizing the safety and well being of BIPOC people in Easthampton and beyond.”

More information on AKINE and their mission can be found at https://01027akine.wixsite.com.