The Problem with Policing in America
It is another devastating day in America as we watch, literally, an innocent Black man killed at the hands of police officers.
Tyre Nichols was beaten by five officers in Memphis, Tennessee after a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. He died in the hospital three days later.
Tyre was a father, an avid skateboarder and photographer, and a native of California. He moved to Memphis just before the pandemic and worked at FedEx. Tyre was a human being - one who should still be alive today.
Our CommonBondz family joins with Tyre’s family in grieving another life taken too soon. We find ourselves asking, again, when will it end?
At CommonBondz, we believe the first step in creating change is education. We must understand how the deep roots of systemic racism, which touch nearly every facet of our country, have shaped institutions like law enforcement and created the issues we see today.
The five officers accused of beating Tyre have been charged with his death. All of these officers are Black, prompting some to argue that this cannot be an example of racism. However, the issues of racism, bias, and brutality in law enforcement, while perpetuated explicitly by some individuals, permeates the entire system. Policing in America is rooted in systemic racism.
We will be honest - we don’t have the solution right now. There are many ideas and strategies for how we can reshape policing in our country. But where we can start is learning about how we got here and considering the actions we can all take to be responsible for change.
We encourage you to explore the following resources to learn more:
Articles
The racist roots of American policing: From slave patrols to traffic stops - The Conversation
The History of Policing in the US and Its Impact on Americans Today - UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog
What 100 Years of History Tells Us About Racism in Policing - ACLU
The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S. - Smithsonian Magazine
Video
Podcasts
For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent, if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden behind a wall of official secrecy. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, NPR and KQED reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. Hosted by KQED Criminal Justice reporter Sukey Lewis, On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?
The origins of American policing and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.