Najee Ali Quotes (11 Quotes)

It's a slap in the face to the community that Paramount Pictures would market a movie with the use of handguns by these gangster rappers who are very poor role models and have a negative influence on children,

Gun violence is one of the leading causes of death for young black males in South-Central Los Angeles and across urban America.

We're sending a message out to Chief Bratton that we've gotten rid of former chief Daryl Gates because he did not take the Rodney King beating -- police abuse -- serious and if he Bratton doesn't take this serious, we'll get rid of you.

We demand that Paramount Pictures remove these negative images of death and destruction, images that our young children are influenced by.

This signals the end of an era, the civil rights era. And it's a signal of a changing of the guard in black leadership. Look around locally and nationally the lack of leadership is frightening.

None of the lawyers, clerks and secretaries I've been working with are there anymore. And there are White people running the office. I and other Black activists have stopped referring people to the firm.

I'm stunned. This shows real courage and conviction. This was a true litmus test for how far police reform had come. We finally have a Police Commission that doesn't rubber-stamp what the chief wants.

It's modeled after his life story, which is a story of a young man who sells drugs and (engages in) gang violence, and ultimately is successful with a rap career at the end of the movie,

Not much has changed. There are cosmetic changes but the solution is to help those in poverty have meaningful employment, healthcare and quality of life. Until that happens, there could be a riot here at any time.

Unfortunately, that type of message is not one that's inspirational because he uses the wrong method in the movie every step of the way. He chooses to sell drugs and participate in gang violence. The means does not always justify the end.

The majority of people here in LA are people, who work every day, who are not involved in gang banging or violence. The media focuses in on people like 50 Cent who exploit those images and give Los Angeles a bad reputation.