Wade Harper: We are All One Blood

As the former mayor of the City of Antioch Many people have asked me about all the problems in the city of Antioch, specifically the suspensions of police officers who were caught sending racist texts. There are those who criticize the current mayor and city council. My usual response is to “pray for them and pray for our city.” If you are not happy with the city council, then run for office or vote in your choice.

With that said, it is hard to pin down all the feelings and emotions that I experienced after reading the many racist texts from several Antioch police officers who no longer represent the Antioch community.

Anger? Frustration? Confusion? Disappointment? Why does racism exist? Why do individuals find it necessary to berate other races? WE ARE ALL ONE BLOOD! I love this City which was named “Antioch” after the city in Turkey where they were first called Christians. I will continue to love this city, and I am not going to separate because of its infidelity. I am not going to claim, “irreconcilable differences.”

While I support due process and holding these officers accountable, I am going to forgive them.

As a believer, forgiveness is mandatory. Allow due process to occur, but more importantly healing needs to also occur. I understand better than most how law enforcement works. As a former law enforcement professional, it was my job to conduct performance reviews, write commendations, and investigate and discipline officers for wrongdoing. Those officers who are ultimately found at fault should be, must be, terminated and held accountable. One can defend the law enforcement profession and still hold racist police officer accountable.

After reading the horribly racist texts I had to ask myself, “Am I safe as an African American living in the city of Antioch? Is my family safe?” I’m not trying to preach, but the way I see it, God chose Antioch to address racism in this country. The way we respond may very well change law enforcement nationwide. Yes, this is a negative milestone in Antioch’s history, but how do we respond? We must respond decisively to heal our city.

Wade Harper

Antioch has now become infamous because of the racism of those whom we have entrusted to keep us safe. I must admit that some of my old wounds of being of a victim of racism and discrimination have come to the forefront of my mind. As a young man in my teens and twenties I was stopped a few times by police, racially profiled and unlawfully detained. I was falsely accused of traffic violations. On one occasion, with my pen and pad in hand, writing down badge numbers they decided it was best to just let me go. I did not forget the faces of those officers and I saw them later when I joined the police academy.

Being racially profiled another time led officers to unlawfully detain me and my family members. We were simply sitting in a car waiting for my aunt to finish her appointment at the beauty salon. I was detained and taken to the police station to be investigated for traffic warrants as it was determined that a relative had been using my name to avoid traffic violations. As a straight-arrow kid, at that time I had never received a traffic citation of any kind. I sat there in that police station for quite some time, handcuffed to the bench. I could have become embittered, and this detention could have thwarted my career in law enforcement. My parents were certainly upset that their son, who was the church pianist, had to be picked up from the Potrero Police Station in San Francisco.

So, I have an idea of how some African American men may feel when being stopped by police. I always kept that in mind when I served as a police officer. I have endeavored to treat everyone with the dignity and respect they are entitled to.

After becoming a father to a teenage young man, I have had “the conversation” with my son as he was growing up as a young African American male in the city of Antioch. African American fathers will truly know what I’m talking about. While I support law enforcement, I do realize that acts of racism and discrimination occur against young black males.

Wade Harper speaks at the Antioch Juneteenth event in 2020

My conversation went something like this, “When you are pulled over by police, make sure you are respectful and call the officer sir or ma’am.” “Don’t reach into your pockets or the glove box until asked to do so.” “Don’t wear a hoodie or act like a thug.” “Keep your hands visible at all times.” My son didn’t take my talk very seriously and decided to joke around. I didn’t allow him to drive until I felt he was ready. While we raised our son the right way and with the right values, in the back of my mind I have always worried that he would be discriminated against.

Now reading the horrible texts of officers calling African Americans (especially men) the “N” word, “gorillas”, “Zoo”, “they all look alike,” “they lack jobs” and “responsibility.” They even called our African American women “water buffalos.” This is disgusting. These comments are beyond hurtful. Finally, the offer of a “prime rib dinner” to injure the current mayor makes me wonder what was said about me, the first African American mayor of the great city of Antioch.

These comments are painful.

I recall a time in my career in law enforcement when I volunteered to become the “Racial Profiling” instructor for the Emeryville Police Department. I visited each of the three work shifts teaching officers an eight-hour course on how to avoid racially profiling community members. I taught the Civil Rights Act 1964 and showed them videos of how police officers enforced unjust laws. I made sure each officer in the department understood that racial profiling was against the law, and it was important to treat people fairly. That’s a little bit of my background.

When I read the comment, “Another one for the mantle… I’m glad you had fun babe” in reference to an officer injuring an African American, I was angered. To me this indicates the culture of racism, excessive force, and other unlawful behavior by some who wear the badge.

A former chief once told us that we must be the same person at home that we are at work. However, he meant for us to be our best selves. And if racism, discrimination, and excessive force is “another one for the mantle, babe” then those offending officers need a different kind of mantle, a different set of values. Therefore, I call on my fellow clergy, those who carry the mantle of righteousness in this community, to meet with the police chief and city council to express our concern and demand for service, excellence, and integrity.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the “Coffee With The Cops” event at Starbucks, where I had the pleasure of meeting a group of individuals who demonstrated a genuine concern for the well-being of the City of Antioch.

Among the attendees were several long-time residents, and I commend them for their active participation in the democratic process. However, it became evident to me that there was a slight disconnect among some of the attendees, as a few expressed greater concerns about traffic issues than the more pressing matter of racist police officers in Antioch. While some individuals may not be directly impacted by the degrading and racist texts aimed at African Americans, it is important to acknowledge that such attitudes may make minorities, your fellow citizens, feel unsafe when interacting with the police in this city.

Chief Ford discussed the fact that police misconduct is not an unusual occurrence. He said, “You can conduct a google search on police misconduct and get over 80,000 hits.” While that statement is true, it is also true that we will not tolerate, understand, or accept racist police officers in the city of Antioch or anywhere in America. This must be rooted out.

The way I see it is that God chose Antioch to be the conduit to bring police reform, healing and love to our City, Our State and Our Country. Will we step up to the challenge?

When taught at Antioch High School were trained on “Race In America.” We had these difficult discussions surrounding race. As an elder in my church, we had discussions about race with several faith leaders using the book “One Blood: Parting Words To The Church on Race and Love. ” by John M. Perkins.

Let’s begin healing our community. We don’t have to await the outcome of federal lawsuits to begin the healing process. We are all ONE BLOOD! Let’s discuss unity and healing in our churches, in our schools, and in our social clubs. Always have an answer to the question, “How does this bring unity and healing to Antioch?”

While we all have differences of many kinds, we0 are all One Blood.

By Wade Harper
Former Mayor, City of Antioch