The death has been referred to as an “accidental discharge.” But there is nothing accidental about the death of an unarmed Black man by law enforcement. Our system is designed to maximize interactions between Black and brown people and police officers, which all but ensures that harm will happen. This is enforced through the practice of over-policing, initiatives that have justified increased levels of policing for the sake of the greater good, but often with adverse consequences (Scientific American).
Due to ableist and racist standards, the mere existence of Black disabled people increases their incidence of violent treatment and death.
Discussions on the hazards of policing misrepresent reality yet are used to protect the police. A closer look into policing and the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. challenges the claim that police are "under attack."
The memeification of Breonna Taylor aims to keep Taylor's name in the media but is often perpetuating the same systems that harm Black women.
The death has been referred to as an “accidental discharge.” But there is nothing accidental about the death of an unarmed Black man by law enforcement. Our system is designed to maximize interactions between Black and brown people and police officers, which all but ensures that harm will happen. This is enforced through the practice of over-policing, initiatives that have justified increased levels of policing for the sake of the greater good, but often with adverse consequences (Scientific American).
Despite its intentions, deinstitutionalization resulted in people with mental illness being moved from one carceral institution to another.
But behind each hashtag is a person. This time, his name was Jonathan Price. He was a 31-year-old from Wolfe City, Texas, a small town outside Dallas. He was a “motivational speaker, a mentor to student-athletes in the area, and a frequent participant in community service activities” (Yahoo News). He was beloved by his community. And on October 3rd, he defused a fight he witnessed between a man and a woman at a convenience store. For his intervention, he was killed. To be more precise: on October 3rd, a police officer, a Texas Ranger, murdered an unarmed Jonathan Price as he walked away from the scene (Washington Post).
The 1992 Los Angeles riots were sparked by a series of injustices by the criminal justice system against marginalized people that remain unaddressed 30 years later.
Two years after being murdered by the police and the focus of protests, the fight to get justice for Breonna Taylor continues.
Sharing graphic videos of police brutality may raise awareness, but also cause harm and obfuscate the real effort needed to create change.
