8 Questions for Constance Malcolm, Grieving Mother Turned Activist

Constance Malcolm stepped into the public eye three years ago after a white New York City police officer, Richard Haste, rushed into their bathroom and fatally shot her son, black, unarmed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham. A certified nursing assistant, Malcolm was not at the Bronx apartment at the time. But Graham’s grandmother and 6-year-old brother, Chinoor, were. Now, nearly three years to that February day—and after a second grand jury cleared Haste in 2013—New York City has settled with Graham’s family for $3.9 million. But Malcolm isn’t satisfied. She wants police accountability. She talked with Colorlines about her unexpected new life, faith, what it means to fight and of course, Chinoor.