At the June 21st Special San Jose City Council Meeting on Police Issues, Councilperson Nancy Pyle, after dozens of public testimonies of being racially profiled, told the council and community in the audience the room, “Don’t look like a gang-banger if you don’t want to be picked up for being connected with a gang.” Audience members, of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, were appalled by the stereotyping, racially insensitive, comment, particularly given the context of the public meeting and that not one of the community members mentioned any gang affiliation. Pyle’s comment was received as dismissive to the public statements, and saying that police harassment is caused by the community, rather than the police.

So in response, on Wednesday, June 27, 2007, we held a GangBanger Fashion Show to deliever the message to Nancy Pyle that she needs to be stop the racist stereotyping of San Jose residents. There was a perfect small stage already built for the event by the time we arrived. Everyone was in place — security, audience, the local news channels. Media arrived to get footage of what may be a once a year event until City Hall and San Jose Police stop racially profiling innocent citizens of the city of San Jose just by the clothing we wear, especially in California, the most fashionable state in the United States of America.

As the show went on, the gang-bangers (regular citizens) walked across the stage, displaying their fashion sense and speaking on their experiences with the SJPD (San Jose Police Department) on how the police abused their authority towards them just for being who they are.

After the fashion show, everyone from the group, accompanied by the media, all headed inside of City Hall to the 18th floor, chanting on our way up with a stereo system playing anthems — “I’m Too Sexy for My Shirt”, “Nuthin’ but a G Thang”, and “Gangsta’s Paradise”.

When everyone got to the 18th floor, Nancy Pyle refused to come out or send a representative of hers. As soon as the crowd heard that they could smell victory, the volume in the room suddenly went from minimum all the way to the max. On behalf of residents of the city who have been harassed by the cops, we then gave a gift to Nancy Pyle — a white-tee — sending a message that “fashion is not a crime.”