Police, protests, paternalism

The last few days have been wild and surreal here in the Twin Cities. I think it will be years before I fully grasp all that I am trying to hear and learn. I am deeply grateful that the MN State Office of Human Rights has started a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis police department over the past ten years.

But a couple of pieces this week really resonated with me. This essay which talks about an analysis The Marshall Project did on police and protests is very helpful. It points out how de-escalation tactics on the part of police work and are very important — and yet, even knowing that, how rarely police use them.

There is also emerging support for thoughtful ways to film the police, and I found this piece helpful.

This blog is written by a white Christian woman (and that is what I am, although that label makes me cringe), and it explores how a certain kind of “good white Christian” can turn use good intentions to end up impacting people with paternalistic racism.

And the National Museum of African American History and Culture has released a rich web portal full of resources for talking about race.