Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Freddie Grey, Sandra Bland, and the list goes on. Many of us have spent days and nights contemplating the injustices that have happened to these individuals and their families; we find ourselves asking how this could have happened and in this day and age? Some of us have gotten angry and taken to the streets in an attempt to make sure our voices are heard by our elected officials. Others have taken to religion and prayed for those affected; trying to show compassion and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. But one young man here in Atlanta has put his knowledge and passion to use in order to create something that would not change the past, but prevent a repeat of history with the creation of his app called Legal Equalizer set to be released to the public next week.
Feuled by turmoil over Mike Brown, his own experiences of being racially profiled, and inspired by the new implementation of police body cameras, Mbye Njie set to the task of creating an app that would document a police encounter for the citizen. In an interview with Huffington Post, Mr Njie recalled stories of being racially profiled by campus police at North Carolina’s Davidson College, stating on more than one occassion there was doubt his fellow black friends and he could be students until they provided IDs stating so. He also learned from police dash cams that a recording would be invaluable in protecting ones rights and bringing justice to those that violated them.
When activated, Legal Equalizer:
- Records sound and video of the altercation
- It also provides the user with a list of their individual rights protected under the Fourth Amendment and based on your GPS location; gives a list of dos and do-nots
- Sends text alerts to three emergency contacts alerting of location and alledged offence
- When closed the same contacts receive copies of the recordings
The feedback has been phenomenal, Mr Njie says. “My reason for the creation of has been given so many new purposes. Mothers have come to me stating that how they would love to know immediately when their child has been pulled over. Young women who have been sexually harrassed by police stops say this will make them feel safer and more secure in these situations. The app isn’t just for one type of person, or to protect against one type of offense. This is for all people to be protected.“
Mr Njie and his dedicated team of four have been diligently working nights and weekends on the development of this app since spring 2015. From sifting through laws to make sure all was correct and protected with legal advisor, Thomas Headen, relentless app development with Martin Davis, to the executed project management of Duane Tyndale, these stellar young men have been working on making a way to change the world around them.
Through the donations at their GoFundMe page, Legal Equalizer has raised over $5K in 4 months, putting them just over 25% of their total $25K goal. In fact, there has been so much support thatprivate investors have picked up and are now providing funding for LE. Those that donated to the cause on GoFundMe have already been invited to partake in the testing of the app as they await the app’s release date Tuesday November 3, 2015.
Go to Legal Equalizer‘s website or visit their FaceBook page to stay abreast of the latest developments and dates.