Eliminating systemic racism and brutality in America’s police departments is possible—but it will take time, says a criminal justice professor.

(Originally published September 17, 2020 in Rutgers University Alumni Association Newsletter)

by Gautam Nayer, PhD

https://alumni.rutgers.edu/stay-connected/alumni-news-and-stories/on-black-and-blue-justice/

In response to the nationwide protests that arose after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, Rutgers alumnus Gautam Nayer, an associate professor at Texas Southern University in Houston, co-wrote an op-ed for Diverse Issues in Higher Education on how policing in America needs to change. Nayer SPAA’09 teaches at the university’s Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs and is a board member of the Center for the Healing of Racism in Houston.

Nayer and co-author Sasha Legette write in the op-ed that historically black colleges and universities, like Texas Southern, can provide feedback and research to help police departments fight systemic racism and brutality in their ranks. Here’s what Nayer has to say about American law enforcement’s troubled past and how police departments can better serve underrepresented communities in the future.

What are the origins of police brutality in this country?

Police officers in America are trained to be warriors. It’s hard to turn that off. The militarization of police creates an aura that they’re fighting a war. Officers are trained to be hypervigilant, that anything could become a fight, although less than 5 percent of calls end up in a violent confrontation.

We’re much quicker to use force than in other countries. Police work is hard work and it can be violent, but in the United States, violence is seen as acceptable to get the job done.

Why do you think George Floyd’s killing sparked the response it did?

The pandemic has exacerbated the issue of systemic racism for minority people, who are at significantly higher risk of COVID-19 than white middle-class Americans. Another reason that the video of Derek Chauvin killing Floyd was so powerful is because Chauvin’s looking at the camera like, “What are you going to do about it?” It shocked so many people.

The op-ed you co-wrote says that diversifying police departments can help decrease racism and brutality against people of color. What are some examples of how police forces can diversify?

Part of the reason the system is racist is because police departments don’t have enough officers who look like the communities they serve. The New York Police Department is slowly changing its ranks. There may be fewer African-American officers coming in but there are more Hispanics and Asians coming in. So, the police unions, which were made up mainly of white men, are thinning out. Once you have more representation in the leadership, you can probably change. But it’s a slow process.

Do you think reforming police unions would help cut down on systemic racism and brutality?

Police unions are very powerful and can push back on reforms. They protect their members, more than other unions do. But changes are coming. For instance, the Dallas Police Department doesn’t have one union negotiate everything, they have several different unions, including an African-American union, so they get everybody’s input. Also, as forces become more diversified, there’s a graying out of officers. It’s changing the dynamics of the profession.

Would it help to shift some traditional police duties to other professionals, such as social workers?

We look to cops to solve everything, but they’re not trained for that. San Antonio’s police department started a special branch where they trained officers to help homeless people get medication they needed. I think that’s a compassionate solution and that’s what we need to come back to, the humanity part.

They should also get better training. Police training in the United States is very different from that in Europe. For instance, in Germany, police have as much as three years of training. (Police officers in the United States typically complete between 10 and 36 weeks of training.)

Are there ways police officers can cultivate closer ties with their communities?

There used to be officers walking the beat in neighborhoods. They were on the same level as everyone else. Then they were in their cars with the windows rolled up, so now there’s even more distance. We need to bring back the beat patrols.

The post On Black and Blue Justice – written by Board Member Gautam Nayer, PhD appeared first on CENTER FOR THE HEALING OF RACISM.

October 5, 2020 | by Gautam Nayer, Mickey Ary and Michael Adams

As published in the journal Diverse Education

Churches have a long history of advocating for civil rights. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the Baptist, Methodist and other religious denominations united to support civil rights for African Americans.

Many churches, for example, provided shelter to protesters during civil rights marches. They organized food assistance programs, assisted homeless with housing needs and provided counseling to alcohol and drug abusers.  More than ever, churches play a vital role in communities of color especially in the chaotic and fear-driven pandemic era that we currently reside in now.

What can churches do to assist Black Lives Matter and other non-profit organizations that are vital to serving communities of color?

• Get involved with local HBCUs: HBCUs serve as safe havens for many students of color. While many HBCU campuses have long-standing ties with African American churches, predominantly White churches must do a better job of interacting and collaborating on issues relating to African American and other people of color.
• Create networking opportunities: Connect and create dialogue through mini-conferences and virtual panels with other non-profits that work in communities of color such as the Center for the Healing of Racism, Pure Justice and Sankofa Research Institute.
• Local university partnership: Churches are non-profits and as such, have a unique understanding of the budgetary and fiscal challenges of working with less and doing more.  Churches can provide assistance in the form of sharing services such as food pantries. Church leaders can also serve as guest speakers and adjunct faculty, particularly at universities which offer degrees in  non-profit management, public administration and social work.
• Promote authors and establish book clubs: Churches should establish antiracist book-of-the-month clubs to promote authors who are active antiracist.  Books such as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Anti-Racist; Dr. Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility and Dr. Beverely Daniel Tatum, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, promote critical thinking and lively discussions, bridging the gap between interpretation and action.
• Establish micro-scholarships for HBCU students: Create, establish and increase funding for micro-scholarships for first generation, low income minorities of color who attend HBCUs.  HBCU students now more than ever need increased and sustained scholarships as HBCU graduates often tend to have higher student debt than graduates at predominantly White institutions. Budget cuts in state legislatures across the nation are already happening, and even a $100 gift card could provide a world of opportunity to an incoming and ongoing HBCU student.
• Volunteer: Churches have a long history in organizing community-based volunteer activities.  Churches should once again take the lead with church leaders and their followers to continue to work with other non-profits and HBCU’s to create increased visibility and connections within the African American community.

Dr. Gautam Nayer is a professor at Texas Southern University and a board member of the Center for the Healing of Racism.

Mickey Ary is a pastor and alumni of Texas Southern University.

Dr. Michael Adams is a professor at Texas Southern University and the director of the Executive Master’s in Public Administration program

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