Presented on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 at 06:00P

Police officers serve as the enforcement arm of the government and are one of the few agencies permitted the right to use deadly force. However, this has proven especially consequential for minority youths and adults. Dating back to the days of slavery, the relationship between African Americans and police officers has been characterized by racial tension and mistrust. Since African Americans as a whole have disproportionate involuntary contact with the police, they have devised strategies to avoid interactions with law enforcement and minimize risk when such interactions do occur.

“The talk” has been passed down in many Black families for generations as a way to prepare their children for interactions with police. It is part of historical distrust of law enforcement, often seen as being more heavy-handed and violent in dealings with Black people or in Black neighborhoods.

Thus, this program seeks to discuss strategies used by African American adults and youths when encountering police officers, analyze how such tactics shape police–citizen outcomes, and amplify the advice provided to young adults regarding how to manage police encounters.

This program will be held at the Johnnie B. Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion, 1100 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo, NY 14208 from 6:00 PM until 8:00PM