We have seen the videos from cell phones, surveillance footage and police cameras. In the moments before and sometimes after police shootings of black people, it sounds like the police and the black people are speaking from completely different social realities. The shootings are the horrific tip of an iceberg. According to a GenForward survey done by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago, two-thirds of African-Americans under the age of 30 say they or someone they know has experienced violence or harassment at the hands of the police. Twenty-four percent of black men between 18 and 34 report that they have been mistreated by the police in the last 30 days, according to a Gallup poll.
Today a conversation about the cultural differences between the culture of the police and that of the young, African-American public they are responsible for serving and protecting. Dr. Sheri Parks guests hosts. Dr. Parks is an Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming at the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland College Park, where she is also an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies. She’s the author of Fierce Angels: Living with a Legacy from the Sacred Dark Feminine to the Strong Black Woman.
Sheri is joined by Edward Jackson. Jackson retired from the Baltimore City Police Department as a Colonel in 2004. He teaches criminal justice at Baltimore City Community College. He was recently appointed to Baltimore City's Community Oversight Task Force by Mayor Catherine Pugh.
Rich Morinis a senior editor at the Pew Research Center. His co-authored report, "Behind the Badge," surveyed nearly 8,000 police officers about their views on policing and fatal encounters between blacks and police.
Elise White is a principal research associate at the Center for Court Innovation, where she focuses on justice issues related to youth, human trafficking, and alternatives to incarceration. She's also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service at New York University.
Lamontre Randall joins the conversation in the last segment. He is the co-founder of a community grassroots organization BeMoreGroup. He’s also the chair of the Baltimore City Police Department Youth Advisory Board.
