Police reform topic of next Conversations on Race and Policing

The topic of police reform will be the focus of the next Conversations on Race and Policing when Zachary Powell, assistant professor of criminal justice at Cal State San Bernardino, presents “Police Reform and Federal Consent Decrees.”

The presentation is free and open to the public, and will take place on Zoom beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21. It can be accessed from a PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android at https://csusb.zoom.us/j/97960458784.

From the abstract of Powell’s talk: “Police reform has been, and will continue to be, an issue of grave importance in the United States. Each year, society learns of multiple instances of unconstitutional law enforcement practices that irreparably harm the lives of many people. Despite the clear need to reform law enforcement agencies in America, efforts to do so often fall short. However, the federal government possesses the power to force police departments to reform in certain situations. This power, mobilized through consent decrees, has received renewed attention and use under the Biden administration. This talk will provide an overview of the federal consent decree process and its impact on law enforcement today.”

Conversations on Race and Policing, also known as CoRP, began in the aftermath of the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd while in the custody of four Minneapolis, Minn., police officers. A video of the incident posted on social media led to widespread protests, the firing of four police officers, the arrest and conviction of one officer on a second-degree murder and related charges, the other three on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder – and a spotlight worldwide on race and policing.

The series has featured scholars, journalists, law enforcement officers, lawyers, activists, artists, educators, administrators and others from throughout the nation who shared their experience and expertise on issues related to race and policing.

More than 50 forums have taken place, and video recordings of the sessions are posted online on the Conversations on Race and Policing Lecture Series Archive. 

The fall lineup of Conversations on Race and Policing, each at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, include:

• Sept. 28: “Indian Boarding Schools: Assemblymember James Ramos in Conversation with Robert Levi Jr. and Dr. Daisy Ocampo.” Ramos, a CSUSB alumnus, represents the district that includes the university; Levi is CSUSB’s inaugural Elder/Culture Bearer in Residence; and Ocampo is a CSUSB assistant professor of history; and
• Oct. 5: “What Is Accountability?: A History of Philadelphia's Police Advisory Board,” with Aaron Bekemeyer, a lecturer in modern U.S. history at Harvard University.
• Oct. 12: “In Conversation with Siobhan Brooks,” with Brooks, a professor in the Department of African American Studies at Cal State Fullerton.
• Oct. 19: “Peace, Justice, and Immigrant Rights: In Conversation with Dr. Brad Elliot Stone (LMU) and Rita Morales, Attorney at Law.”

The series is organized by CSUSB students Marlo Brooks, Zoralynn Oglesby, Evelyn Jimenez, Jade McDonald, Jaime Castro and Connie Cornejo. Along with the students and Texeira are Jeremy Murray, CSUSB associate professor of history; Robie Madrigal, public affairs/communication specialist for the CSUSB John M. Pfau Library; and community member Stan Futch, president of the Westside Action Group

For more information, contact Robie Madrigal at rmadriga@csusb.edu or Jeremy Murray at jmurray@csusb.edu.

Also visit the Conversations on Race and Policing webpage.