Earlier this month, in Milledgeville, Ala., 6-year-old Salecia Johnson was carted off in handcuffs after throwing a temper tantrum in school, sparking a national conversation about what could possibly justify arresting a kindergartner and a petition by her parents to end the use of police in school discipline.
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In light of that story, ColorLines unearthed an interview with actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, who has been weighing in for some time on issues surrounding young people and criminal justice. Carmen Perez, executive director of the Gathering for Justice, who served as a Santa Cruz, Calif., probation officer before joining Belafonte, joined as well.
In the interview, Belafonte says, "One of the most commonly used instruments to deal with the issue of race is incarceration" and suggests dialogue on the issue to "fix our weaknesses and broaden our strengths."
Read more at ColorLines.
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