Verbatim text of an e-mail from Victoria Straughn of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens for Justice that reached actress Whoopi Goldberg.

        This message must be passed on to Ms. Whoopi Goldberg and the Production Company responsible for her scheduled performance June 12, 2002 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

        I am writing on behalf of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens For Justice (CCCFJ), which is a coalition of groups working in collaboration for the call to Justice and to inform you that our city is in the midst of a very serious Boycott.

        This boycott is not to be taken lightly as entertainers such as Mr. Bill Cosby, The Isely Brothers, Midnight Star and others have either cancelled and/or are considering canceling their performances, and an unsettled Racial Profiling lawsuit.

        The world was forced to take a look at the City of Cincinnati, Ohio last April. What people were unaware of was equally as disturbing. In addition to over 17 black males who died at the hands of the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), which have also been involved in planting drugs on suspects, raping young women, verbally and physically attacking many in the community with the primary target being African American males. Two police officers have not been properly tryed in court even after the choking death of a handcuffed African American male in November 2000 and admitted to striking this young man (Roger Owensby Jr.) after he was dead. Another officer on trial for the shooting death of an unarmed black male (Timothy Thomas) which sparked the rebellion and changed his story three times as to why he fired the fatel shoots. Please see www.cincinnatienquirer.com back issues April 2001.

        The CPD has operated within the African American communites with relative immunity and are referred to as terrorist. The economic situation is equally as bad, where the poverty here in Cincinnati is worst than cities such as Chicago and New York and African Americans contractors are being blocked from vital contracts such as the rebuilding of the cities infrastructure such as stadiums and the Revitalizing of the Riverbanks Projects.

        The cities elected officials have failed to address and correct these and other issues, instad they formed a task force to prosecute those who rebelled against an unjust system of absolute oppression and recently funded and placed 75 more police onto the streets.

        The city has hired a Media Consultant Group to produce ad campaigns to put a clean face on Cincinnati Ohio, we cannot allow this kind of cover-up.

        Our communities can no longer stand idly by while our unarmed young black men are gunned down and choked to death by the CPD, and watch the kind of Good Ole Boy network of Prosecutors, Judges, Elected officials, and the local FOP reward this kind of behavior.

        Considering the intolerable conditions under which blacks and poor people are forced to live in this city, the call for Economic Sanctions/Boycott is Just and Fair, and a last resort. For the past 5 years individual activist and social activist groups have submitted demands and recommendations outlining changes that must be implemented; City Council over a period of 20 years has had over 7 different Commission Reports from various government agencies outlining changes the city must implement in order to avoid future problems.

        The city has ignored our sincere efforts to negotiate a solution to the with meaningful results. CCCFJ, seeks to to bring about real justice and an end to police brutality, economic aparthied and a higher quality of life through fundamental cultural, economic, educational, political and much needed social change.

        We are asking you to please make that Ms. Whoopie Goldberg is informed about the situation here as things are very tense in this city and the threat of more unrest a real possiblity as we approach the April anniversary date with nothing more than writing promises.

        Please fell free to visit sevral websites such as www.cbuf.com, www.cincyboycott.com, www.ariagroup.org, www.citybeat.com for more information.

        (Ms. Straughn included her phone numbers and e-mail address)

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