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A review by lou_o_donnell
Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?: Police Violence and Resistance in the United States by Maya Schenwar
5.0
Massive Thank You to Haymarket Press for making this available for free alongside the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. I’ll absolutely be on the lookout for more of their publications going forward.
Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect is exactly the type of education, insightful, hard-hitting material that should be compulsory reading for all seeking to understand #BlackLivesMatter and the importance of its success. As difficult as it is to ponder the deeply tragic, unavoidable death and harm inflicted upon people by police, it is essential to explore in these times.
Though I am not a citizen of the USA, I think a deeper understanding of the pervasive nature of racism and xenophobia, particularly within institutions of power, is essential education for those who claim to be anti-racist. Through the resilience, dignity, vulnerability and doubtless sacrifice of these artists, activists and journalists, we come face-to-face with the reality of policing for people of colour. That reality is one of violence against the body, violence against the psyche - a never ending continuation of the victimization of people of colour and indigenous people in the US and beyond.
I am grateful for the opportunity to further my understanding of the issues of violence and racism within policing, but also for broadening and deepening my understanding of alternatives to police forces. Overall, a thought provoking, diverse range of opinions and insights which should be essential reading for anyone invested in understanding The Who, what, why of #BlackLivesMatter.
Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect is exactly the type of education, insightful, hard-hitting material that should be compulsory reading for all seeking to understand #BlackLivesMatter and the importance of its success. As difficult as it is to ponder the deeply tragic, unavoidable death and harm inflicted upon people by police, it is essential to explore in these times.
Though I am not a citizen of the USA, I think a deeper understanding of the pervasive nature of racism and xenophobia, particularly within institutions of power, is essential education for those who claim to be anti-racist. Through the resilience, dignity, vulnerability and doubtless sacrifice of these artists, activists and journalists, we come face-to-face with the reality of policing for people of colour. That reality is one of violence against the body, violence against the psyche - a never ending continuation of the victimization of people of colour and indigenous people in the US and beyond.
I am grateful for the opportunity to further my understanding of the issues of violence and racism within policing, but also for broadening and deepening my understanding of alternatives to police forces. Overall, a thought provoking, diverse range of opinions and insights which should be essential reading for anyone invested in understanding The Who, what, why of #BlackLivesMatter.