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Cleveland Verdict: Where the Threat of Blackness Prevails
The numbers: 137 rounds; 49 shots from one gun; two unarmed black victims dead. Not guilty. Perhaps the most chilling element of the verdict in the case of Cleveland Police Officer Michael Brelo, charged with the voluntary manslaughter of two unarmed black suspects, was a mainstay phrase uttered by Judge John P. O’Donnell in his…
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Biker Clubs Instead of Thugs? This Is How Racism Works
On Sunday in Waco, Texas, violence erupted when an altercation between members of two rival motorcycle gangs spilled out from a bathroom at the Twin Peaks restaurant into the main area of the eatery and eventually into the parking lot. When it was over, the bloody encounter left nine dead and over a dozen people…
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What’s Next for the Baltimore 6?
On Friday, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that her office had found probable cause for the arrest of six Baltimore police officers in connection with the death of Freddie Gray. Her statement detailed the finding of events that occurred leading up to Gray’s death and included a slew of charges against each officer,…
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The Blue Wall of Silence Over Police Brutality Must Come Down
At the center of the discussion of the #blacklivesmatter movement is the issue of law enforcement’s relationship with communities of color. While there are myriad issues related to improving conditions for blacks in America, the most prevalent theme of late is how to bridge the gap between police and community in a way that begins…
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Walter Scott’s Death and the Cycle of Contempt for Black Lives
By now, many in America have watched the obscene video showing the death of Walter Scott, shot in the back as he flees for his life from North Charleston, S.C., Police Officer Michael Slager. Seemingly in an instant, eight shots from Slager’s gun turned Scott from a man to a memory. Then the officer added insult to…
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Culture of Abuse and Racism Revealed in Ferguson Police Department
Editor’s note: The Department of Justice issued two reports March 4 regarding its civil rights investigations of Ferguson, Mo. The Department of Justice’s investigation into law-enforcement practices in Ferguson, Mo., is nearly complete, and the full findings could be released to the public as early as this week. From the information that has leaked out, the results of…
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The NYPD Slowdown Is Proving That ‘Broken Windows’ Is a Failure. Isn’t It Time to Drop It?
As the New York City Police Department continues its standoff with Mayor Bill de Blasio over his perceived lack of support, the conversation caused by the police slowdown is providing strong ammunition for critics of overly aggressive law-enforcement tactics within urban communities. At this point, there has been no significant impact to public safety because…
