By Rasheed Stewart Associate Editor, Volume 23 The 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, passed following the publicly videotaped 1991 beating of African American motorist Rodney King by four LAPD officers and the catastrophic Los Angeles Riots a year later, gave the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice an extraordinary […]
ferguson
Driving while black: Carolina city crafts racial awareness police policy
By Luis E. Gomez, Associate Editor Vol. 20 The protests in Ferguson have prompted a national debate about race and the militarization of local police forces. In Durham, North Carolina, racial profiling has played a major role in the city’s enforcement of drug laws. Civil rights advocates claim that black motorists are three times as […]
Missouri Governor May Call National Guard Back to Ferguson
By Lauren Tortorella, Associate Editor Vol. 20 As Ferguson, and the world, awaits the grand jury’s decision on whether or not to charge officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is considering calling up the Nation Guard. Gov. Nixon expects protests after the grand jury’s decision is announced. In […]
President Obama: Mistrust of Law Enforcement Greatest in Communities that Need it Most
By: Whitney Robinson, Associate Editor Vol. 20 President Obama shared a powerful and important message during his address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation this past Saturday. According to Obama, the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in August, and the ensuing unrest in Ferguson, exposes a wide “gulf of mistrust” that exists between community members […]
Michigan Journal of Race & Law 