War on Drugs

War on Drugs or War on Blacks in Tulia, Texas

In 1999, in the small farming town of Tulia, Tx, of 5000 inhabitants, 246 of them Black ( 5% ), a one and a half year undercover investigation by a white officer with a more than questionable background, resulted in the arrest of 43 people, all but three white ( yes that is an incredible percentage of 93% of the arrestees being black, and yes this is 16% of the black population of Tulia ), for selling drugs.

You think there is something wrong, especially as there is no way that there are 43 drugdealer in a town with only 5000 inhabitants?
The state of Texas thought quite differently! The drug bust was hailed and the undercover officer got the "Outstanding Lawman of the Year" Award from Texas in 1999!

The tide has changed inbetween, the story made major headlines in the main press and the American Civlil Liberties Union (ACLU), joined by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a complained with the Justice Department, and the Justice department has since opened an investigation.

The two organizations allege:

"Civil rights violations, conspiracy
and discrimination intended ot accomplish
the forbidden aim of cleansing Tulia of its
black population"

or to put it more bluntly:

Ethnic cleansing of young black males

Learn more details about this story, like:
  • The list of black people to be investigated and taken care of the local sheriff compiled
  • Backgroud information about the undercover officer ( debts, theft, misdemenour charges, ...)
  • The sentences of up to more than 300 years in prison
  • The lack of any evidence like video or audiotapes, other eyewitnesses beside the
    undercover cop, or even the drugs themselves



Nothing else, but hopefully soon:
  • Statistics
  • minority targetting
  • alternatives: Coffee Shops in Netherlands, Heroin distribution programs in Switzerland
  • "Medical Marijuhana": which states
  • Columbia Aid Package
Last modified: Wednesday, 07-Feb-2001 00:04:41 EST