Policing and White Power with Daniel Kryder and David Cunningham (JP, EF)

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Aug 15, 2024

Guest

David Cunningham

Guest

Daniel Kryder

In this captivating discussion, scholars Daniel Kryder and David Cunningham tackle police brutality and systemic racism. They delve into the historical roots of policing linked to racial control, revealing how these origins continue to affect communities. The duo highlights the role of police unions in hindering reform and explores the recent shifts in racial dialogues, particularly among white Democrats. They also reflect on the significant white participation in 2020 protests and its implications for achieving lasting change in policing practices.

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INSIGHT

Origins of US Policing

US policing originated from militias in the North and slave patrols in the South.
This makes the US system unique, with decentralized local control reflecting local social formations.

INSIGHT

Decentralized Policing

The US Constitution doesn't mention policing, allowing localities to develop their own methods.
This decentralization resulted in a patchwork of forces, reflecting varied local needs and inequalities.

INSIGHT

Class vs. Race in Policing

Early policing in the US wasn't solely class-based, especially in the South due to racial segregation.
Working-class white cops often policed their own neighborhoods but acted as outsiders in segregated Black communities.

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This June 2020 episode, originally part of a Global Policing series, was Recall this Book's first exploration of police brutality, systemic and personal racism and Black Lives Matter. Elizabeth and John were lucky to be joined by Daniel Kryder and David Cunningham, two scholars who have worked on these questions for decades.

Many of the mechanisms that create an oppressed and subordinated American community of color can seem subtle and indirect, despite the insidious ways they pervade housing law (The Color of Law), education (Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together, Savage Inequalities) and the carceral state (The Condemnation of Blackness, The New Jim Crow, Locking Up Our Own).

Although there is plenty of subtle racism in policing as well, there can be a brutally frontal quality to white-power policing: just look at the racial disparity in the stubbornly astronomically number of fatal shootings by police. David and Daniel ask how much of the current system of racial and class disparity can be traced back to slavery or to subsequent 19th century racial logic, and howw much arises from the confluence of other forces.

The conversation notes the widespread white participation in 2020 protests–did we ever expect to hear Mitt Romney chanting “Black Lives Matter”?– and what this might suggest about the possibilities for actual change. It also touches on the roles of the media and institutions such as police unions and the erosion of federal oversight of local police departments.

Mentioned in this episode:

Klansville, USA (cf. the PBS show of the same name that drew heavily on the book; and an interview David did on the topic of today’s Klan)
Kerner Commission Report (1968)
Ethical Society of Police (cf. this compelling local post-Ferguson PBS documentary that speaks with St. Louis African-American police officers)

Recallable Books

Walter Johnson, “The Broken Heart of America” (2020)
James Baldwin, “The Fire Next Time” (1963)
Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Between the World and Me” (2015)

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