Building People Power (Webinar 7/8/20)

This episode is the second in a three part virtual learning session series and is focused on combating the Drivers of Disparity in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the nationwide uprising for racial justice that has followed.  

The relentless police brutality within Black and Brown communities has sparked protests and organizing efforts around the world to show solidarity for Black lives and a demand for justice and systemic change. The backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic has magnified the pre-existing health and socioeconomic disparities for low-income communities of color and left them to contend with life-threatening crises on multiple fronts. 

Although these issues have been a revelation for much of the American public, they are familiar for residents and activists in South Central Los Angeles. In this webinar, three activists and organizers share their personal and professional insights on one of the Drivers of Disparity: Policing Suppression, Deportation, & Mass Incarceration, and a key contributor to the current state of inequity in South Los Angeles. The panelists discuss the history of policing in Los Angeles, describe the impact of policing on the residents of South LA, illustrate some of the new suppression tactics deployed in communities of color, and present the need to reimagine public safety and the role of law enforcement even as community activists continue to advance efforts to defund the police nationwide.