"Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe." – Frederick Douglass

The Memorial Day hit-and-run in Troy that took the beautiful and innocent life of six-year-old Jahvion Emilio Perez Rosario has the community asking important questions about what, if anything, could have been done to prevent this tragedy.

In the wake of Jahvion's death, people are demanding to know why there are virtually no protective measures in place, such as speed bumps and traffic warning signs (namely school zone and children-at-play signs), to safeguard pedestrians and cyclists on the stretch of Tenth Street where the little boy was struck and killed. According to local residents, the posted speed limited of 30 mph is frequently ignored and too high for the neighborhood, especially considering the high population density of the area, which includes numerous children. The community believes cautionary traffic notices and other protections would function to enhance driver awareness of their surroundings and curb speeding. Notwithstanding these phenomena and the fact that an elementary school is located only a quarter of a mile from the scene of the fatal hit-and-run, repeated calls for more to be done in Troy to improve public safety have gone unanswered.

Social justice is achieved when social conditions are such that universal human rights are recognized and upheld, without discrimination, for every individual and community. This type of justice is served when the inherent dignity of all persons is respected and protected and everyone has equal access to basic human needs. The growth and development of socially just frameworks require life sustaining resources to be distributed in a fair and equitable manner, regardless of socio-economic status and geographic location.

The reckless and desperate actions of the young driver at the center of this tragic story are as undeniable as they were deadly. However, culpability for Jahvion's death may not rest with the driver alone. Structural or systemic violence could also be to blame here, specifically a common and destructive form of this violence known as social injustice.

The harmful effects of social injustice are visible in many parts of the city. As seen in like communities across the state and country, in Troy demographic and socio-economic constructs ostensibly govern the levels of essential resources devoted to it—a problem deeply rooted in the city’s lack of social and economic power and influence. This continuous neglect has produced a large underserved population whose needs go unmet and whose most vulnerable members suffer the greatest as a result. One discernible outcome of social stratification is insufficient protections for the people, especially the children. Sadly, Jahvion may be one of the latest victims of this structural inequality.

Home to an underclass of working poor and chronically unemployed, the people of Troy face constant threats to their security and wellbeing. According to a 2010 report published by the New York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA)—based on poverty figures from 2006 to 2008 (the latest U.S. Census data available)—14 percent of individuals in New York State live in poverty, 20 percent of children. Yet, while these numbers are bleak and disturbing enough, at 21 percent or about 9,520 individuals, Troy’s poverty rate is much higher. This figure includes nearly 3,200 children, 33 percent of Troy's poor. But what makes this snapshot of the city’s social and economic situation even more troubling is that these data reflect pre-Great Recession conditions, and so the incidence of poverty in Troy has likely grown substantially since the NYSCAA report was released.

Mahatma Gandhi affirmed that “poverty is the worst form of violence”. Given the systemic inequity and exclusionary practices that render many Troy residents much less safe and secure than the average population, I refuse to call the events that led up to this lethal incident an “accident”, as the term implies chance and unpredictability. One of the costs of unjust social and economic conditions is always predictable – the human cost.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” My hope is that the entire Capital Region will join in solidarity with the brave and resilient folks of Troy to demand and attain social justice for marginalized peoples across the state. Until social justice is considered a fundamental and inalienable right of every community, regardless of its economic and political privilege, I’m afraid many more lives will be lost, leaving more families devastated and more communities mourning the loss of one of their own.

Additional Information:

–   Donations for Jahvion Perez’s family may be made to The Missing Link Street Ministry, 3370 6th Ave, Troy, NY 12180. Monetary donations are preferred at this point as the Ministry has set up an education memorial fund for Jahvion’s sister and brother.

–   Please join me in contacting our local, state and federal lawmakers to urge them to work for greater social justice in Troy and in other disenfranchised communities around New York State:

Mayor’s Office and City Council (Troy):

http://troyny.gov/

Assemblyman Ron Canestrari:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Ron-Canestrari/contact/

State Senator Roy J. McDonald:

http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/roy-j-mcdonald/contact

Congressman Paul Tonko:

http://tonko.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3&sectiontree=3

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NY
 

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Brian J. Trautman is a U.S. Army veteran, peace educator/activist, and volunteer with the Troy-based, non-profit organization The Sanctuary for Independent Media. He resides in North Greenbush, NY.

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