In Depth: Discussing race in America
LOS ANGELES - Segment A: “Race Matters” community voices
Hal and Christine Devine discuss the week-long series of specials examining the situation of race relations in Los Angeles and beyond. Christine discusses her interviews with Capri Maddox, the head of L.A.’s new department of Civil and Human Rights, and with Mary Cates, an adoptive mother of three, taking about her fears for her Black son in the wake of the recent unrest. Christine says she encouraged by seeing the young people who are stepping up to become part of the conversation and how they are changing society.
Segment B: “Race Matters” a look back
Hal is joined by USC Law Professor Jody Armour to talk about what has changed since the early days of the civil rights movement- and what hasn’t. Armour says that so many times when there is an upheaval like we have had recently and a precipitating incident like the death of George Floyd, that frequently there is a “band aid” or quick fix movement to add technological details like police body cameras, but that this doesn’t bring about long-lasting change. Armour says he thinks that we are finally getting to the point where as a society we realize we have to create deeper change by addressing actual racial inequalities.
Armour says that young people are hoping for the equality - the same thing that we’ve been promised since the beginning of the country, but that even then the country was dealing with the “original sin” of slavery, and that the problems are only now just beginning to be addressed.
Segment C: “Race Matters” and the police
Christine shares a segment she did this week with the co-founder of Black Lives Matter and the chief of the LAPD- they disagree significantly about the role of the police.
Jody Armour is back with us to talk about how to make the police just a part of societal change, and what “defund the police” actually means.
Armour talks about how best to achieve public safety, whether it is better to put people on the “front end” by preventing crime, and providing people with jobs, and opportunities, and allow police to just be enforcers on the “back end.”
Armour says that it is an unconscious stereotype for people to feel more threatened by black people than by white people, and that we have to find a way to keep police from being put into a position where they act on those automatic reflexes when they have to make a split second decision.
Armour says he is gratified by the change he has seen take place even right now- with the L.A. Mayor diverting funds away from the police department toward social services.
Segment D: Wrapup
Hal and Christine talk about the historic weeks we’ve just had, and looking forward to the trial of the officers charged with George Floyd’s death and what will transpire in the future.
We end with the original song from the Compont Kidz Club “Stand Up” illustrated with some powerful moments that went down live on our station over the past couple of weeks.