“I sat there and wondered, had those been two Black men sitting at the table, would the story have gone the same way? I wish all we had to worry about during traffic stops was the cost of a ticket. I want my child and your child to get pulled over, see the cops, and think, That sucks. I’ll get a ticket. But as we all know, when any person of color is pulled over, a ticket is the least of their worries.

“It seems that, yet again, being Black is a crime and we are being made to pay. So on behalf of the slain driver, Davis Brown, and his wife and daughter; on behalf of the two previous cases this year, of drivers who lost their lives, Mr. Larry Ramsey and Mr. Jaylen Jackson; and on behalf of the many people of color in this community who have been detained, harassed, humiliated, and attacked for the crime of being Black, we’d like to ask a question: How much?

“How much to pay for the crime of living while Black? Since being Black is an offense, since the width of our noses, the size of our lips, and the melanin in our skin equates to criminality, it’s clear there is a price to pay.

“Our ancestors gave four hundred years of free labor to this country, but . . . that was not enough. They gave up their children, their bodies, and their very breath to this country, but . . . that was not enough.

“So we are here today to ask Commissioner O’Brian and all of the NYPD one simple question. How. Much?

“How much is it going to cost us to finally be treated as equals? How much is it going to take to stop slaughtering us—in the streets, in our cars, and in our very own homes? How much?

“Tell us, so that we can leave here and tell our children, and they can tell their children, once and for all: How much?”

Ever since then, the phrase How Much? has been trending on social media, sprayed on buildings, and popping up all over Harlem. It got so much traction that other foundations joined See Us, and they are forming what is quickly becoming the biggest protest march in Harlem’s history. It will take place this Sunday. In addition, three new investigations have been opened involving officer-related shootings. And I have a feeling it’s just the start.

I hate that it has to be like this, but I remember the looks on the faces of the families of the victims. They haunt me. It’s not fair that they will have to grieve forever just because someone saw their skin color as a threat. And like many people in Harlem, I don’t want to think about it. But being a part of See Us means I have no choice.