Systemic Racism
Where to Start
Politics and law govern our choices, health, and opportunities to name just a few aspects. Explore the books and more below to learn how politics and law have been applied unjustly.
Resources
Post-Racial or Most-Racial? by Call number: E184 .A1 T465 2016ISBN: 022635296xPublication date: 2016-04-04
From Blackface to Black Twitter by Call number: PN6231N5 D38 2018ISBN: 1433154552Publication date: 2018-08-01
- A Discussion on Black Lives, Protest, and DemocracyProtests continue to sweep across the United States following the violent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and countless others at the hands of police. Join the Ash Center for a conversation with leading scholars and practitioners about the protests, their place in the long fight for social justice, and what they tell us about the state of democracy in America today.
- Who Watches the Watchmen? A Discussion About Race and Policing Through the Lens of Popular EntertainmentWhen HBO series Watchmen premiered in October 2019, the show—a dramatically different take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s original comic book/graphic novel—was noted for its direct confrontation of racism in America. Systemic racism, police brutality, collective trauma, and vigilante justice are all central themes to the TV remix. In light of ongoing deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police, nationwide protests, and calls for reforms, the show is now getting a second look with many calling it eerily prescient.
- Justice in America
"Each episode explains a new criminal justice issue and features conversations with experts and advocates." From The Appeal, independent journalism focused on criminal justice issues, particularly mass incarceration.
- Beyond Prisons
This podcast on "incarceration and prison abolition...elevates people directly impacted by the system." From Shadowproof, an independent "press organization driven to expose systemic abuses of power in business and government."
- Ear Hustle
"The daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration."
https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/un-report-on-racial-disparities/
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
"Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans."
- Black Lives Matter
"Founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, the Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."
- Campaign Zero
This organization researches and analyzes "policing practices across the country, provides technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and develops model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide."
- Center for Policing Equity
"The Center for Policing Equity works to help police departments realize their own equity goals...and advance the scientific understanding of issues of equity within organizations and policing."
- The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
CERD is the U.N. “body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its State parties.“
- Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB)
Formed in 2000, this group "was created to deal with police brutality in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area on an ongoing basis." Under the publications tab, there are links to reports, fact sheets, and an online tutorial "Police Brutality 101."
- Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative "is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society."
- Institute for Justice Reform & Innovation (IJRI)
Drake University Law School’s IJRI provides resources and training on a number of issues, including creating a more just system of civil and criminal justice.
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
The world's largest "professional association for police leaders," the IACP "is dedicated to advancing the policing profession through advocacy, research, outreach, and education in order to provide for safer communities worldwide."
- Mapping Police Violence
“ Mapping Police Violence is a research collaborative collecting comprehensive data on police killings nationwide to quantify the impact of police violence in communities.”
- Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)
M4BL works with individuals and other organizations to "create a shared vision and policy agenda to win rights, recognition, and resources for Black people."
- My Brother's Keeper
Resources on police violence and antiracism in America. Includes the video from the June 3, 2020 virtual presentation, "A conversation with President Obama: Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence."
- National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
The NBJC strives to bridge "the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ/SGL equality."
- National Police Accountability Project (NPAP)
NPAP is a project of the National Lawyers Guild founded "to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States."
- Racial Justice Improvement Project
This ABA initiative “is designed to identify and reform policies and practices that produce racial disparities in local criminal justice systems across the country.”
- Stanford Center for Racial Justice
"Through publishing and teaching on timely issues, student engagement, service, and training, the Center will facilitate social change by providing research and collaboration on policy reforms to dismantle racism."
- Vera Institute of Justice
The institute "envision[s] a society that respects the dignity of every person and safeguards justice for everyone." The Research & Analysis section provides access to reports on a wide range of topics, including policing and community, racial bias in prosecution, reducing the use of jail, and more.
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