One On One with Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson
Ebony S. Muhammad (EM): We’re now going on two years since the murder of your nephew, Oscar Grant. With the amount of time that has gone by there have been some recent updates. Can you explain a few of those updates regarding his case?
Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson (CJ): Well of course it was painful during the sentencing to hear the judge say that he made a mistake. We were in court, because we heard a police officer say that he made a mistake by drawing his weapon instead of his taser. So to hear the judge say, “Well we’re all human beings. We’re trying to do our best, and I made a mistake and therefore I have to throw out the gun enhancement…”, which was the meat of our sentencing…. With that major punch in the face, we were really hurt.
As we came out of that courtroom, we believed that he had just given a mandate to all police officers across the United States that they can just kill at will and say that it’s justifiable because we have something in our hands. Before we could get home, Derrick Jones, another African American male killed by OPD (Oakland Police Department) with the same statement that he was reaching for something in his waistband. So with our experience and my experience in the courtroom, we are coming to realize just how racist this criminal justice system is, and to get home from the sentencing of our case and hear immediately after that sentencing another African American male has been killed by OPD and the same excuse being used. This has really inflicted a lot of emotional harm and has even brought up some anger. In going forward, of course, it is our hope and prayer that the Department of Justice gets involved. Now we have to sit down and begin this process in how to engage the Department of Justice, how do we assure that they are going to pick this case up, and then going from there in seeking the justice that Oscar deserves in what happened to him on that platform.
I’m receiving calls almost every day from a representative from BART; Johannes Mehserle worked for the police department of BART. Just the other day this gentleman, who is a public relation, called for the Chief of Police of BART, because he wants to have a meeting with the families. It was really hard to even engage them, but I concluded that I would have this meeting. However I decided to have the meeting after we heard Marysol Domenici, who was on the platform the night Oscar was murdered. We knew just within the transcripts, court hearings, court records and within BART personnel records that this woman lied and was terminated by BART and now she gets rehired. So here’s another slap in the face. The sentencing wasn’t nothing, we come home and Derrick is murdered, now they rehire Marysol Domenici who was part of the one’s who instigated the whole thing on the platform.
I let them know I’ll meet with the Chief of Police, and now nobody calls me back. It just goes to show that there’s much work that needs to be done in order for me to get through this with a sane mind and hopefully continue to do the right thing. I need to stay on my knees and continue to pray, because this is unreal; what we have experienced and it’s very painful.
EM: Yes sir. When you talk about the pain, and in your experience along with Oscar’s mom, how much more complicated is all of this making your grieving process? Not only did you lose your nephew and your sister lost her son and the way it happened, but the continuous slaps of injustice. How much more difficult is it making it on you to grieve?
CJ: It’s extremely difficult, but one of the charges that I have against my life is that I’m not going to stop fighting. Although it hurts, although it may seem like everything is going in the complete opposite direction, and that we as African Americans in the United States definitely don’t have any rights when it comes to a true hearing and justice. What charges me to really keep forward even though I’m receiving these punches in the way I’m receiving them is my sister’s in pain. It’s hard for her to hear this stuff over and over. Just emotionally from losing Oscar, she’s already down. Now to hear what the judge did in not giving this man any prison time and to turn around and hear that BART decided to rehire Marysol Domenici who was a part of the responsibility of why Oscar was murdered on that platform… For me it may hurt, but this is something that I’m tasked with for the rest of my life.
To be honest, I love my people but I love my sister and my nephew. Although it’s for them (our people), it’s also for us. People need to hear that we are dealing with a system that has institutionalized racism in such a way that it seems like we’ll just accept it. However when you lose a loved one and you got to deal with this system…it’s painful.
EM: With the participation of the community and other public figures, does it bring a little balance to that injustice? We’re dealing with a system that really wasn’t meant to give us justice, yet we still have to fight and participate as much as we can. With those in the community and those all over the world supporting you all and getting the word out, does that also fuel your charge to keep going?
CJ: It does. I’ve come to realize that those who are not directly involved with losing a loved and those who don’t have the passion in their heart for our people, they get tired and they go away. Their lives just take off and they continue doing what they were doing before this incident or situation occurred. However, yes, seeing the people and having their support and even having the community speak to the issue, even if they’re outraged speaking to the issue, it really keeps me motivated in a sense that I’m not doing this alone. It may come to a point where I’m walking by myself. I pray that it doesn’t happen, because then that means that we’ve just given up. Yes, the community, their involvement, their love, those that stand for justice have been extremely helpful.
EM: With the last bit of information that was given with regard to Oscar’s case, what plans are in motion in going forward, what’s next?
CJ: We definitely want the Department of Justice to bring Civil Right violations to Johannes Mehserle, Tony Peroni, and Marysol Domenici for what happened on that platform. We may get it, we may not. What our lead is next is just engaging the right people, hopefully our people in wanting to get involved with this process of changing this racist justice system from the way that it is. I know that’s not going to be an easy task, because one of the strongest unions in the state of California and probably across the United States is the Prison Guards and Policeman’s Union, and they have power. If no changes are made at least people can be aware, much more now than ever before that this system, that we know today as it stands, does not give us justice. If you’re going to face it, you might as well understand that some of us stand up and bring about a change.
EM: Absolutely. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Brother Dennis Muhammad and the Peace Keepers organization, but he works with police departments in teaching them sensitivity, especially when it comes to race relations. He actually tours the country with his program. Is that something you see yourself getting involved with as you talk about bringing about more awareness?
CJ: That is exactly one of the things I plan to do, and I’m putting together The Oscar Grant Foundation. One of the things that I’m looking at is how to bridge the gap between the policemen and the community. How do we engage the police officers to have more sensitivity and understanding of our people? How do we do that? Of course, I have my own ideas in how that works or how it could work and how it can begin. I’ve talked with a friend of mine, and I’ve stated that part of the employment process should require that you spend 16 hours out of a year or out of a quarter at a foundation, let’s say The Oscar Grant Foundation, dealing with kids of color. You’re required; whether you’re Black, White, or Hispanic to do a camping trip with them; to be like a big brother to them. Get to know these kids so that when they see you or the police they don’t say, “Duck, that’s the police” and be afraid and worried about you shooting.
EM: Yes sir! Beautiful! Is there anything else you would like to add?
CJ: The only thing I think is left to add is that we also have to change the way the police officers, when they’re charged for murder, are given representation. Not who represents them but who represents the family. We’ve learned as a family that anytime a police officer is killed in a county, that county’s District Attorney’s office puts a D.A. prosecutor on the case. That prosecutor is assigned to the family. We have no choice in the prosecutor. We get what they give. Like a public defender. This prosecutor, who we know has a relationship with this police officer (Johannes Mehserle), most likely knows his mother, his dog, his children and have a love for him, now has been given the task to put his friend in prison. We know that it can’t honestly be done. Therefore, there has to be a change; the Department of Justice without a relationship across the United States where the East Coast region is responsible for the West Coast region and the West Coast region is responsible for the East Coast region. Bring in D.A.’s and prosecuting attorneys from the Department of Justice to charge these officers for the murder they commit.
Therefore, maybe by not having a relationship with these officers can actually do the family true justice by really seeking to put them in jail. I think in that respect, that’s another area I think we need to address and change, because the way the justice system is set up now, no police officers go to prison for murder; none for a non-duty shooting. So with that being said, it’s not because they didn’t do it and they’re always right, it’s because of the way the system is set up.
EM: Yes sir, it’s actually to protect them not us.
CJ: Right, exactly.
EM: Thank you so much for your time and for the update. I’m glad that you mentioned The Oscar Grant Foundation. I’ll continue to get updates from Sister Beatrice for that information and any other updates that may take place.
CJ: Okay, sounds good, and thank you too.
