Ramarley Graham’s Family, Activists Demand Accountability With #23Days4Ramarley Campaign

By Sameer Rao Apr 26, 2016

More than four years after New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Richard Haste shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham, his family still waits for justice. After a grand jury acquittal, Haste remains with the NYPD—along with the officers that Graham’s family and supporters say simultaneously worked to cover their own tracks and the teen’s loved ones.

Now, Graham’s family and several social justice organizations have formed a coalition to carry out a 23-day series of actions that seek accountability from law enforcement and city officials. 

"Mayor de Blasio, you promised police reform when you ran, but you’ve done nothing to hold the NYPD accountable," Graham’s mother, Constance Malcolm, said during a Sunday (April 24) vigil in front of New York City mayor Bill de Blasio‘s home. "It’s time for you to fire all the officers who busted into our home and killed Ramarley. Fire all the officers who wouldn’t let my mother see her attorney while they held her at the precinct. Fire all the officers who made false statements about my son and what the NYPD did to him."

Sunday’s vigil is the latest major action from the coalition, which initiated #23Days4Ramarley and #FireNYPD as components of a larger campaign that demands de Blasio and NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton transparently investigate and fire all of the involved officers.

The 23 days started on April 12—what would have been Graham’s 23rd birthday—with a protest at city hall in Manhattan. As the New York Daily News reports, Malcolm and other family members delivered a petition with more than 57,000 supporters, all demanding accountability. 

According to The New York Times, only three involved officers face department charges related to Graham’s death. Haste, the only officer identified, remains on desk duty. 

Local advocacy organizations involved in the campaign include Justice CommitteeMalcolm X Grassroots MovementMake the Road NYThe Brotherhood/SisterSol and Brooklyn Movement Center.

#23Days4Ramarley ends on May 4. Click here to learn more.