Alphabet of discrimination: Letter C–Cops, coronavirus, CRT, and cultural appropriation

One day, a member of our community asked a member of Equity Buckfield “What’s happening in our country right now that’s so bad? Give me one example.” Our member thought to themself, “I could probably think of something for every letter of the alphabet.” And so they did.

Cops

Police officers are superheroes in our communities. Time and time again, they rescue people on a daily basis. They put themselves into harm's way to save community members they don't even know, but that they care about just the same. If you are in a scary situation, you know you can count on the police to show up and save you. They are strong, reliable, and will do anything to help you.

This is your experience as a white American.

This is not the experience of all Americans.

As Campaign Zero explains, in the United States, more than one thousand people are killed by police every year in America, and "nearly sixty percent of victims did not have a gun or were involved in activities that should not require police intervention such as harmless 'quality of life' behaviors or mental health crises."

Every person of every race is owed a fair experience with police officers, no matter what they have done. Even if they have been accused of committing unspeakable crimes, every human being deserves a fair trial. No police officer has the right to assume anything or kill an unarmed person.

Source: Statisa

So what are some solutions to ending police brutality against people of color?

1. We can decrease police officers feeling threatened during traffic stops by using the Not Reaching! pouch
2. We can hold officers accountable for their behavior, especially with people of color
3. White people: Be brave. Don't leave a person of color alone with police officers. Stand up if you see a person of color being mistreated by cops. Record. Make it go viral. 
4. Increase representation among the police force. Currently, most police officers are white men: We need more racial diversity among our community defenders.
5. End broken window policing. 
6. Restructure and re-train: Learning new de-escalation tactics is key here. Police are often the ones to escalate things in situations where a person of color ends up being killed by the police.
7. Demilitarize: Over the years, more and more police have been adopting military gear. Police with more military gear kill more people.
8. Embrace alternatives to police. Police were never intended and should never have been assigned the duty of dealing with mental health crises. They are often the ones to be called and the first ones to show up in all cases, and this should not be how it is. They are not trained to specifically handle mental health crises.

Here is some information on your rights if and when you are stopped by the police.

We also recommend Use of Force: The Policing of Black America, streaming on Peacock.

It is very important that we continue to have these conversations.

Coronavirus

In 2021, the CDC released a report confirming that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are at a greater risk for COVID-19. This is because of a few factors: Tobacco use is higher than in the rest of the population; and HIV and cancer have higher rates among the LGBTQIA+ community, so the community is more likely to have more people with compromised immune systems.

Additionally, reports have shown more LGBTQIA+ people have lost their jobs during the pandemic than the rest of the population. 

More on coronavirus and the LGBTQIA+ community from the National LGBT Cancer Network here.

Source: The Center for American Progress

Source: US CDC

CRT

However you define Critical Race Theory (CRT)–an advanced study taught only in graduate and law school programs or a blanket term for any mention of Black history in a school curriculum–the polarization of the subject is a prominent example of how fragile and hysterical white Americans can be when confronted with examining racism in the United States. A June 2021 Morning Consult/POLITICO poll found stark partisan divides in voters' definitions and opinions of so-called "CRT": When asked to define it, 7% of Democrats, 46% of independents, and 78% of Republicans shared negative phrases. 

Source: Morning Consult

For a more straightforward explanation of so-called Critical Race Theory, check out this video from Education Week:

Cultural appropriation

What, in fact, is cultural appropriation? We like this definition:

"A term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance."

As with many issues surrounding racism, colonialism and exploitation, cultural appropriation is a polarizing subject. Check out this article for a great overview and examples, and this article about "dos and don'ts" when it comes to fashion and culture.

Source: ThoughtCo.