Black Lives Matter

- CNN video of an officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck, 5/29/2020.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/29/us/george-floyd-new-video-officers-kneel-trnd/index.html

Obituary of George Floyd; The Life Pressed Out
- The Economist, 6/6/2020.
https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/04/george-floyd-was-killed-on-may-25th

Perspectives

Why Black People Resist Arrest
- Level: A Medium Publication for the Interested Man, 6/17/2020.
https://level.medium.com/why-black-people-resist-arrest-c43d99e0f961

The Air We Breathe - Implicit Bias and Police Shootings
- Hidden Brain podcast, NPR, June 12, 2020.
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/876073130/the-air-we-breathe-implicit-bias-and-police-shootings

Police killing black people is a pandemic, too. State violence is a public health crisis. Its cause? Bad laws..  The Washington Post, 6/5/2020.

"Combating police violence isn’t about figuring out the motivations of individual 'bad apples.' It’s about understanding how a network of government-sponsored brutality across 18,000 local, state, county and federal law enforcement agencies can, in lockstep, without any central organization, create persistent terror in black communities. To understand the conditions that give rise to appalling behavior such as the killing of George Floyd over an allegedly fake $20 bill, we have to take a close look at the conditions that signal to all police officers that they can treat black people with utter disdain and brutality, with little consequence."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/police-violence-pandemic/2020/06/05/e1a2a1b0-a669-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

Christian Cooper:  Why I  Have Chosen not to Aid the Investigation of Amy Cooper
The Washington Post, 7/14/20.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/christian-cooper-why-i-am-declining-to-be-involved-in-amy-coopers-prosecution/2020/07/14/1ba3a920-c5d4-11ea-b037-f9711f89ee46_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_week_in_ideas&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_ideas

I'm Good Bro: Unmasking Black Male Depression
A 4C Visuals Group Film, 10/1/2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_iCaM84HUg&list=PLfLKI2T5Eyvd0XOb04ZYyEzUt52iFyev1&index=5

Seeking Positive Change and Positive Examples

Jennifer Eberhardt Brings Positive Change

Jennifer Eberhardt, a Stanford University professor of psychology, applies the rigor of academic research to objective measurement of subconscious racial bias.  It turns out this research can produce some astounding results when combined with police training.  Eberhardt and her team worked successfully with Oakland police, reducing racial profiling 75% and reducing stops involving black drivers by 43%. 

Read Eberhardt's superb book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, Do, to learn about the nature and importance of unconscious bias and the work that can be done to change us for the better.  https://www.amazon.com/Biased-Uncovering-Hidden-Prejudice-Shapes/dp/0735224951/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FH58R9ZM0CKU&dchild=1&keywords=biased+jennifer+eberhardt&qid=1598706822&sprefix=biased%2Caps%2C220&sr=8-1

The Bias Detective; Psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt explores the roots of unconscious bias--and its tragic consequences for U.S. society.  A Science Magazine article written by Douglas Starr, 3/27/2020.   

San Francisco Bay Chronicle, 11/16/2019.  https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/To-curb-racial-bias-Oakland-police-are-pulling-14839567.php

Positive Change

The Seattle Police Department Has Created a Team of Unarmed Community Service Officers
- KUOW, 10/19/2020.
https://kuow.org/stories/meet-spd-s-new-community-service-officers

How Camden New Jersey Reformed Its Police Department
- Bloomberg News, 6/4/2020.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/how-camden-new-jersey-reformed-its-police-department
- The Economist, 6/4/2020.
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/06/04/how-to-fix-american-policing
- Wikipedia's account of the Camden Police Department:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Police_Department_(New_Jersey)
 The Camden Police Department today:
http://camdencountypd.org/senior-leadership/office-of-the-chief-of-police/
City Lab, Bloomberg News articles on Police policies  https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/01/what-happened-to-crime-in-camden/549542/

A Positive Example

Detective Denise Bouildin of the Seattle Police Department inspires youth and adults.
- The Seattle Medium, 3/18/2015.  https://seattlemedium.com/detective-denise-cookie-bouildin-spd/
https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2018/05/21/detective-cookies-urban-youth-chess-club-announces-kids-vs-cops-chess-rumble-tournament/

Need for Change in Legal Services

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, an excellent book by Bryan Stevenson, 2014.  Also a movie.  About racism, inadequate legal defense for the poor, and capital punishment.

Challenge

Policing the Police, How do you change a troubled police department?
- Frontline, PBS, 6/28/2016.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/policing-the-police/

Killings

Statistics and a List. 

- The Washington Post  https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/police-shootings-2019/

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

Ahmaud Arbery, shot by two white men who chased him in a truck while he was running through the neighborhood.  The shooter claimed the runner looked like a robber.  Georgia, 2020.
- Roland Martin Unfiltered
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtEZaDWh_20
- ABC News, 5/8/20.   https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/father-son-charged-killing-black-man-ahmaud-arbery-70575513

Jesse Sarey shot by police in struggle over arrest.  Auburn, WA, 2019.
- The Seattle Times, 8/24/2020.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/auburn-officer-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-assault-charges-in-2019-fatal-shooting/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BNA_082420161219+BREAKING+Police+officer+pleads+not+guilty+to+murder+charge_8_24_2020&utm_term=Active%20subscriber

Breonna Taylor, shot dead by a policeman in her own home after police broke in without knocking. Kentucky, October, 2019.
- NBC News, 5/13/20.   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/black-woman-shot-killed-after-kentucky-police-entered-her-home-n1205651

Terence Crutcher, Oklahoma, 2016
A 40 year old unarmed man shot in the back by police while walking toward his car with his arms raised above his head. He was confused and on drugs and had done nothing to provoke the shooting.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/terence-crutcher-remembered-church-going-family-man-n651436

Philando Castile, Minnesota, 2016.
Shot and killed during a traffic stop after he politely informed the officer he had a licensed firearm.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Philando_Castile

Walter Scott, shot by police as he ran away after being stopped for a faulty brake light on his car.  South Carolina, 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Walter_Scott

Oscar Grant, Oakland, 2009.
Shot and killed by police in a BART transit station.  
- CNN 5/4/2019
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/04/us/oscar-grant-shooting-bart-internal-investigation/index.html

Timothy Thomas, Cincinnati, 2001.
A 19 year old shot and killed while running from police.  He had done nothing wrong.
- NBC News 4/10/2004
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4703574/ns/dateline_nbc-dateline_specials/t/behind-death-timothy-thomas/

Armandou Diallo, NYC, 1999.
Shot 41 times in the vestibule of his apartment building by an officer, Kenneth Boss, who had shot another unarmed black man dead in 1997.  In 2015, Boss was promoted to sergeant.  Diallo had done nothing wrong.
- International Business Times, 12/17/2015.
https://www.ibtimes.com/do-black-lives-matter-nypd-officer-kenneth-boss-promoted-sergeant-16-years-after-2230884

Emmett Till, 14 years old, lynched in Mississippi, 1955.  The lynchers acted on a claim by a white woman that she later indicated wasn't entirely true.
- Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till

Beatings

Rodney King, beaten savagely by police after a car chase, Los Angeles, 1991.  The police involved were released without convictions.
- Heavy, 5/27/20.   https://heavy.com/news/2020/05/amy-cooper-video-new-york/

Not Just Police

Sanda Dia.   A successful third year black student in a prestigious Belgian university died in fraternity hazing after racist ceremonies. - NYT 10/5/2020.   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/world/europe/belgium-racism-sanda-dia.html

In 2020, Amy Cooper used her cell phone to call 911 from a NYC park because a bird-watcher asked her to put her dog on a leash.  Apparently police bias is so pervasive Ms. Cooper assumed the mere threat of calling the police would scare the bird-watcher away even though he had done nothing wrong.
- Huffpost, 5/26/20.  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amy-cooper-knew-exactly-what-she-was-doing_n_5ecd1d89c5b6c1f281e0fbc5

Choosing Strategies:  In Defense of Non-Violence

 A Question for Violent White Protesters:   How Do These Actions Stop Police From Killing Black People?

"Vandalizing government buildings and hurling projectiles at law enforcement draw attention — but how do these actions stop police from killing black people? What are antifa and other leftist agitators achieving for the cause of black equality?"

from an opinion piece in the Washington Post, 7/23/2020, by E.D. Mondaine, president of the Portland branch of the NAACP.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/23/portlands-protests-were-supposed-be-about-black-lives-now-theyre-white-spectacle/

 

Non-violent Resistance Proves Potent Weapon, an interview with Erica Chenoweth, author of  “Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict.”  A political scientist compares the effectiveness of violent versus peaceful protest in bringing about social change. - The Harvard Gazette, 2/4/2019.  https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/02/why-nonviolent-resistance-beats-violent-force-in-effecting-social-political-change/
 

Across that Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America. A profound and eloquent look at political activism and social change, by a courageous leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and a long-time member of the US House of Representatives, John Lewis.  Published in 2012.

History

After the Civil War.  The Reconstruction.  A series of videos about the time after the Civil War when Black Americans achieved much then had many of their rights as citizens removed through violence and unfair legislation.  - PBS, 2019.  https://www.pbs.org/show/reconstruction-america-after-civil-war/episodes/

Police.  The Police Bill of Rights passed in Maryland in the 1970s then spread to other states.
- The Washington Post, August 29, 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/08/29/police-bill-of-rights-officers-discipline-maryland/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Reading List for Teens

"50 Books that Every Black Teen Should Read".  - NewsOne, 9/6/2020.   https://newsone.com/playlist/50-books-every-black-teen-should-read/item/2/

Black Women in Science: A Black History Book for Kids

by Kimberly Brown Pelllum, Phd, 2019.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1641527072/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TVzvFbHM1NKBH

A list of 20 Picture Books that Embrace Race, for young children

https://www.embracerace.org/resources/20-picture-books-for-2020

The NAAPC

"The Crisis is a quarterly journal of politics, culture, civil rights and history that seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues facing African-Americans and other communities of color."
The official publication of the NAACP. 
"Speaking truth to power, since 2010." 
Founding Editor: W.E.B. Du Bois.
https://www.thecrisismagazine.com/ 

Art

In song:  "Black Myself", by Amythyst Kiah   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjd9zlSiHZM

In photographs:  "Somnyama Ngonyama" (Hail the Dark Lioness, in translation), by Zanele Muholi 

Multiple meda:  Hank Willis Thomas' show in Seattle, 2024, "Loverules", https://henryart.org/exhibitions/hank-willis-thomas-loverules#page-navigation-artist-bio

The Ordering of Moses, a classical oratorio, composed by R. Nathanial Dett in 1937. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/22/rodrick-dixon-the-ordering-of-moses-oratorio-robert-nathaniel-dett https://harmoniaseattle.org/concerts/2024-05-04

 

Astrophysics

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil deGrasse Typson, 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson