Our first episode is called We Keep Us Safe. In it, our diverse group of guests discuss our community’s complex relationship with policing.
The historical roots of law enforcement are in slavery and slave patrols. They hunted our people down and subjected them to brutal conditions using terror and violence.
Modern-day police departments are still firmly rooted in these beginnings. Black Americans are incarcerated at a rate nearly five times higher than White Americans, making up about 38% of the prison population.
Our bodies are still being restrained, controlled, and used for labor. It’s impossible to say that the carceral system is broken because it’s functioning exactly as it was designed.
That leaves us asking: who do we call to keep us safe? Policing was never designed to protect us or our needs, so who will? Where do we look for solutions that actually work for the Black community when both political parties are promising to expand law enforcement in our communities?
Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
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