police
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Massachusetts School District Suspends School Police Program After Cops Were Called on 6-Year-Old
I never understand the logic behind calling the police on a very young child. I can’t imagine looking at a 6-year-old and going “Fuck, I’m in danger.” Apparently, officials at a school in Somerville, Mass., didn’t feel the same way, and after an incident where the police were called on a 6-year-old Black and Latino…
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Florida School District Drops Tamir Rice-Inspired Novel After Police Union Labels It 'Propaganda'
How dare we tell children anything close to the truth about race in America? That’s the takeaway after a Florida school district—the second-largest in the state—suspended Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes’ award-winning young adult novel Ghost Boys from a fifth-grade curriculum after a local police union complained it was anti-police “propaganda.” A partial synopsis of the…
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Rep. Jim Clyburn Is Out of His Goddamn Mind If He Really Thinks Qualified Immunity Doesn’t Have to Be Part of Policing Reform Bill
Rep. Jim Clyburn is a political juggernaut. He is a kingmaker. He is a South Carolina god. But Jim Clyburn is out of his goddamn mind if he truly believes that qualified immunity—the legal doctrine that protects officers from being sued—doesn’t need to be part of policing reform legislation, . “I will never sacrifice good…
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How You Can Honor George Floyd's Life With Real Police Reform, Explained
A jury found Derek Chauvin guilty. He is going to jail. Whether or not convicting one man can effect change in the way Black and brown communities are policed is yet to be seen. However, using the momentum of this tragedy to transform the culture of policing does not depend on police chiefs and powerful…
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DOJ to Investigate Police Practices in Minneapolis
Less than a day after Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a civil investigation into police practices in Minneapolis. The DOJ will determine if the Minneapolis Police Department uses excessive force, engages in discriminatory conduct, and whether its treatment of people with mental health issues violates any…
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For Once, a Cop Did Not Get Away With Murder. Activists Want to Ensure It Is No Longer a Rarity
Tuesday, Black people celebrated the conviction of Derek Chauvin as jubilantly as they’d rejoice in their favorite sports team winning a championship. They know they are the underdogs. The rules are rigged against them, the opponent has outsized resources and always seems to be playing on home court, but yesterday felt like a buzzer-beater. Up…
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House Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Republicans Predictably Reject Proposed Reforms
On Wednesday, the House passed a comprehensive police reform bill named in honor of George Floyd, the 46-year-old Black man whose brutal death after being restrained under the knee of a Minneapolis cop helped spur a nationwide movement against racism and unjust police practices in 2o2o. In a clear indication of where the two major…
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Pennsylvania Cop Charged for Participating in Capitol Riot
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: White folks are just different. Private messages show that a Pennsylvania cop was relatively indifferent to the fact that he’s facing federal charges for his role in January’s riot at the Capitol. According to NBC News, federal prosecutors allege that 55-year-old Joseph Fischer, a patrolman in…
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Watchdog Report Finds Chicago Police Response to George Floyd Protests Was Defined by 'Tactical Incoherence'
I’m sure you don’t need reminding, but George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police spurred ongoing, nationwide protests. Chicago was no exception, and a report from an independent watchdog group finds that the police response to these protests were woefully inadequate. According to ABC News, the Chicago’s Office of Inspector General found that…
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Capitol Police Are Actually Members of a Massive Hate Group—The Fraternal Order of Police
While pundits and elected officials wonder how the Capitol Police could have allowed a group of white supremacists into the U.S. Capitol to loot some of our country’s most sensitive information and violently attack those inside, these actions actually remind us at Color Of Change that the men and women of the Capitol Police are…