A police officer pushes an antifa demonstrator out of the way during a 2019 protest in Washington, D.C.
Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
April Thames, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Racism – and the chronic stress it causes – leads to poor health among African Americans. It may change the way genes are expressed, leading to increased levels of dangerous stress hormones.
Our experts look at why people of colour are being hit harder by COVID-19, New Zealand’s success in eliminating the virus, and the latest on drug trials.
There is no good police versus bad police. Police are police. They are the states’ organ of repression. There are a myriad of better scenarios than the current one.
Protests over police violence and white supremacy have erupted in almost 600 US cities. A historian of black social movements says what’s happened after George Floyd’s death is unprecedented.
A protester holds a sign showing a black US flag during a demonstration in Denver, Colorado, on May 31, 2020.
Jason Connolly/AFP
That George Floyd died at the hands of four police officers is uncontested, but interpretations of his death and its aftermath differ greatly. The result is two starkly opposed narratives.
Mourning in Minneapolis: Terrence Floyd at a vigil for his brother George Floyd on the spot where he died in police custody.
Tannen Maury/EPA
Representation alone cannot fix racism. But when deployed appropriately, it can provide reassurance and support to communities of colour.
While primarily a protective measure, the COVID-19 mask has also become a symbol of good citizenship, but wearing a mask safely in public may require white privilege.
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In the coronavirus pandemic, wearing a protective mask signifies a commitment to the social and collective good of society. But that changes when a face mask is worn by Black and racialized people.
Ladijane Sofia da Concecão, one of millions of unemployed housekeepers in Brazil, accepts a food donation from a friend in São Paulo, May 7, 2020.
Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images
Maids were among Brazil’s earliest COVID-19 victims, infected by employers who had been to Italy. Now 39% of Brazilian ‘domésticas’ have been let go, most without severance or sick leave.
For Black birdwatchers, the outdoors is a relaxing space but not one free from racism and discrimination.
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As Black birdwatcher Christian Cooper learned in New York City’s Central Park, nature is seen as a white space and Black birdwatching as an aberration.
The militarization of local police departments has been associated with an increase in police violence against citizens.
A protester reacts after being hit by pepper spray from police as their group of demonstrators are detained prior to arrest at a gas station on South Washington Street, Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Minneapolis.
John Minchillo/AP Photo
Fear is very much a part of humans’ survival. Demagogues and others who want to manipulate have learned that this human trait can be exploited, often with disastrous consequences.
Police work to keep demonstrators back during a protest in Lafayette Square Park on May 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Many law enforcement agencies fail to adequately investigate misconduct allegations and rarely sustain citizen complaints. Disciplinary sanctions are few and reserved for the most egregious cases.
Research Fellow, Institute for Health & Sport, member of the Community, Identity and Displacement Research Network, and Co-convenor of the Olympic Research Network, Victoria University