Those who know Davis say he's caring
February 21, 2006
BY ROMAN MODROWSKI Staff Reporter
Harvey Grossman remembers Shani Davis' confidence in bringing a lawsuit against the city of Chicago. Stephen Young remembers Davis as a sweet, mischievous young man who's inspired by the memory of Young's son.
When Davis, 23, lines up to compete for another Olympic speedskating gold medal tonight in Turin, Italy, he'll be representing distinct -- and sometimes conflicting -- qualities to various people.
To many, Davis is a symbol of immense pride as the only African-American man to win gold in the Winter Games after capturing the 1,000-meter crown Sunday.
To others, Davis is defined by perceived selfishness in deciding not to compete in a team event and by his terse interview with NBC after winning the medal.
''He carries himself with a lot of dignity,'' said Grossman, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. ''He's very much his own person.''
Davis is one of three plaintiffs who brought a suit on March 24, 2003, against the city of Chicago and former police superintendent Terry Hillard. The suit alleges police stopped Davis and two other black men -- Quincy Joyner, 34, and Damien Joyner, 31 -- because of the color of their skin. Davis' incident occurred in 2001, and the Joyners were stopped in 2002, according to the suit.
''The case challenges indiscriminate street stops of young men, and there are two components to the case,'' Grossman said Monday. ''The first is to get systemic relief in the form of an injunction to get the Police Department to change its practices. They've changed a lot of them, but they have not gone the final steps. The other component is to get monetary damages for each of the individuals.''
Grossman said the case is ongoing, and he expects to try it this year.
''Shani's actively involved in the case,'' Grossman said. ''We keep him apprised of the status of the case and of negotiations.''
Grossman said the suit already has paid dividends.
''The case has been really important,'' he said. ''The police have responded by putting in place a mandatory system of keeping a record for street stops. Before, it wasn't a mandatory system.''
Davis grew up in Hyde Park and North Rogers Park. His close friend Andrew Young was killed in 1996 in Rogers Park by an alleged gang member in what was described as a case of mistaken identity.
''He's a real sweet kid,'' said Andrew's father, Stephen Young. ''When I heard that Shani said he was skating for Andrew, I called him and said, 'I didn't realize you still think about Andrew.' He said he thinks about him every day.''
Young is upset over certain media characterizations of Davis, and he was disturbed by Davis' interview with NBC.
''I sent him an e-mail right away,'' Young said. ''I thought something was wrong, something was upsetting him.
''All I can do is speculate that it had something to do with the hype they gave Chad Hedrick, who was thumping his chest about [the possibility of] winning five gold medals. And then they make Shani out to be the bad guy for not skating [in the team event]. The American media really played that up. But he had signed a letter of intent three weeks ago about what races he would compete in, and he indicated back then that he wouldn't skate [in the team event].''
Young said he shared advice with Davis about dealing with his own struggle.
''I told him I had a lot of anger and rage [after his son's murder], but over time I learned how to let it go,'' Young said. "Shani has plenty of reasons to be angry. He's been treated unfairly, was a victim of racism and slandered by jealous skaters. He was raised by a single mother in hardship. It was a real uphill struggle.
"I can see where he would have some anger. My advice was just to 'enjoy the day, baby, because you're the best damn speedskater in the world.'''
Young is sure that label will remain intact after Davis faces Hedrick tonight in the 1,500-meter event.
''The controversy will make him even more focused,'' Young said. ''He probably has steam coming from the top of his head.''