The History of Policing, Power, and Protest

The brutal murders of African Americans George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Dion Johnson, at the hands of White police officers in Minnesota and Louisville, and a White Department of Public Safety officer in Phoenix, have thrust the nation into a period of social unrest and violence not seen since the 1960s. What followed was a dramatic call, by millions of citizens, for a reckoning at the intersection of history, racism, police power and autonomy, and human rights. What is the history of policing? How is it relevant to the contemporary gap between chaos and community? How do we quell fears, stop the violence, and promote learning and healing? Participants will explore these questions in a safe, interactive discussion, that will help them understand and improve the relationship between the police and community. 

Dr. Matthew Whittaker

The Founder and CEO of the Diamond Strategies, LLC (DSC). He is a highly sought after and award-winning educator, student success and affairs leader, diversity, equity and inclusion specialist, author, community engagement expert, motivational speaker, Founding Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Brophy College Preparatory, and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, winner of the 2014 Arizona Diversity Leadership Alliance (DLA) Inclusive Workplace Award, at Arizona State University, where he was also professor of history for 15 years.