The NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s Criminal Justice Practice’s Senior Community Organizer, Lumumba Bandele talks about the Akia Gurley Trial, the recent conviction of NYPD Rookie Office Peter Liang, the criminalization of public housing, what safety & health communities look like, systems of accountability and alternatives to policing at the quarterly Pan African Unity Dialogue (PAUD) meeting Saturday morning.

About Lumumba Bandele: Lumumba Akinwole-Bandele is the Senior Community Organizer in LDF’s Criminal Justice Practice. He is a community organizer and educator from Central Brooklyn. From 1994 – 1998 Lumumba served as programming coordinator at the Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCC). During his tenure at CCC, he also co-found Azabache, an organizers training conference and workshop series for young activists.  All the while as a Black Studies Major at City College of NY/CUNY, he went on to receive his Masters in Human Service from Lincoln University in 1998. As a member and organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Mr. Akinwole-Bandele helped establish its campaign to counter police abuse and misconduct. He also co-founded the world renowned Black August Hip Hop Project. Black August raises awareness and support for political prisoners in the United States. From 2002 to 2007 Lumumba served as a counselor and lecturer at Medgar Evers College/CUNY. Lumumba currently serves as an adjunct lecturer teaching Community Organizing at Lehman College/CUNY.