An Anecdotal Reflection

As a leadership consultant and strategist in the field of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, my phone rang as soon as the video was released. I thought it might be helpful to share my responses to frequently asked questions.

How is it a Black Lives Matter issue if the officers were Black??

Black Lives Matter was a response to police brutality in the Black community. It started there first, then spread to racism in general. Jennifer Eberhart’s ‘Biased’ describes bias within the police system. Her research with police officers is expansive (multiple cities in multiple states around the country and the world), and she works closely as an advisor to help reduce bias in law enforcement. Dr. Eberhart finds that Toxic Association and Repetition Suppression?existed with White and Black officers, almost equally. She also confirms that, as with anything (preachers, teachers, parents, leaders) there are more of the “good ones” than bad. Unfortunately, we know the bad ones are deadly—and Black people are disproportionately affected.?

Is the firing and swift charging of officers a reflection of progress?

On the surface it appears as progress. The Black Lives Matter movement and a nation committed to dismantling systemic racism is finally working! Right? Except that the beating took me back to Rodney King. I remember the Sunday night just after watching that week’s episode of ‘In Living Color’ (where all of the campus Black students on my floor gathered in one room to watch) seeing the video. We were in shock. We held our breath during the trial and wept at the verdict.?

I was also reminded of the officers in the Breonna Taylor shooting, Eric Garner, etc and I see a common theme—leave, suspension, (maybe) fire, trial.?

As much as I want to believe this is progress, it gives me pause when Black officers are somehow now “the example” of swift and immediate. I’m not implying they shouldn’t be…I’m saying it gives me pause. As someone in this space professionally, I’m trained to spot, sniff, sense the tiny particles of racism the naked eye can’t see. Unfortunately, there are two institutions in which Black people statistically suffer harsher penalty—education, and the justice system. It’s too soon to rule on this as progress, so I won’t.?

My resolve

I watched the video. I was thinking about Mr. Nichols' call for his mother (the eerie similarity to George Floyd buckled my knees), his family, his extended family—the Black community, and those I love in law enforcement. This is a tragic loss and we are all in pain. Unlike my usual norm, I decided against conjuring words of encouragement to ease the pain, because there’s growth in the pain. As I say to my clients “sit in it”. It’s a part of the healing journey. The reason The Black Lives Matter movement advanced in 2020 was because we were in the middle of a pandemic and couldn’t escape it.?Instead, I prayed for everyone...as I called my Black son to remind him no hoodies, 10 and 2, and STAY ALIVE.

Today, I am hopeful. The belief in structural and systemic change is a requirement for this work. It is the work, and those of us who lead it must have hope. Therefore, I believe.