Summary: After the police killing of George Floyd, protests around the country have erupted, calling for an end to police brutality against Black Americans. Sociology professor Alex Vitale (Brooklyn College) says it’s not enough to reform the police. Instead, we must actually defund police and essentially end policing. And: Justin Hansford (Howard University School of Law) explains why one popular reform known as community policing is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Later in the show: Junauda Petrus-Nasah is an activist, writer, and performance artist. She reads her poem “Could We Please Give The Police Departments To The Grandmothers?” which aired at a press conference on June 3rd, hosted by Black Visions Collective and Reclaim the Block. Plus: Connie Hassett-Walker (Norwich University) studies the history of police in America. Going all the way back to the 18th century, she traces the racist roots of American police and reflects on how this legacy still echoes today.
