Community and Education are Viable Responses to Bigotry

On September 11, 2018, I had the pleasure of participating in a stimulating discussion on The Black and The Blue and issues of social justice that continue to plague us in the 21st century. The authors of the book, Matthew Horace and Ron Harris, have delved into the militarization of American policing, lack of community policing, and the implicit bias that legitimizes racial profiling and the criminalization of African-Americans within the country’s criminal justice system. This book challenges the reader to confront the lop-sidedness of America’s law enforcement and also encourages the reader to recognize the clout that the local community can exercise, and to think constructively about reform.

The Black and The Blue does not reductively whitewash the unspoken rules of American policing but attempts to make historically marginalized black communities visible, and thereby articulates a submerged voice. The reader is made privy to the perspective, historical context, and traditions of those who have been silenced by institutionalized racism and systemic oppression. The co-authors, Harris and Horace, shake the moral fabric of society by keenly observing the history of abusive police practices in America. This well-researched book is an act of resistance to the dehumanizing aspects of law enforcement and policing and is a forceful attempt to negotiate with entrenched ideological structures that continue to reinforce racial divides. Harris pointed out that this book…

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