Never Let Me Down: Sit-Ins Still Work

“I get down for my grandfather
Who took my mama, made her sit in that seat
Where white folks ain’t want us to eat
At the tender age of six she was arrested for the sit-ins
And with that in my blood, I was born to be different” — Never Let Me Down, Kanye West.

About seven years ago I staged a sit-in at the Yuma County Attorney’s Office (“YCAO”). It was just me and my play uncle. For nonblack people who might be unfamiliar with the term of art, a play person is a person who is so close to the family that they are considered family. My play uncle had been away visiting his family when someone stole his truck and used it in the commission of a crime. It had been over nine weeks and he still did not have this truck back. The culprits had been caught. The vehicle had been processed by the crime lab and the police placed the blame on the YCAO for not returning his truck to him. It was my play uncle's only source of transportation. He had called, emailed, and even showed up to the office requesting that it be returned. They ignored his reasonable pleas. Since I am the family lawyer and my dad had now assumed the position of patriarch of the family, he summoned me to call, fax letters, and email YCAO for the return of his play brother’s truck. I was mired in two weeks' worth of futility. Finally, I admitted that we were at an impasse. There was only one thing left to do: journey to…