Police Brutality

Demonstrators display placards while marching during a protest, Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in the Nubian Square neighborhood of Boston, a day after a guilty verdict was announced at the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the 2020 death of George Floyd. (Steven Senne/AP)

Police Reform On Paper Only Is Meaningless. We Need True Justice

If complaints against police languish, then police reform is an empty promise, write Sophia Hall and Iván Espinoza-Madrigal.

Cognoscenti

Jun 29, 2021

Demonstrators march on Ontario St. on Dec. 29, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)

How Black Lives Matter Is Moving Forward In Seattle, Cleveland, Mississippi

Here & Now checks in with three Black Lives Matter leaders from around the country.

Here & Now

06:48Mar 12, 2021

March organizer Monica Cannon-Grant speaks to protesters gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House during the Juneteenth protest and march in honor of Rayshard Brooks. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Black Leaders In Massachusetts Call On State Legislature To Pass Police Reform Bill

The Massachusetts House and Senate have approved separate versions of the bill, but have yet to hammer out a final compromise.

Local Coverage

Sep 27, 2020

Mass. Gov Charlie Baker gives a daily coronavirus update on June 26, 2020 in Boston. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Evoking Breonna Taylor, Gov. Baker Urges Quick Action On Police Reform Bill

Policing reform bills in both the Massachusetts House and Senate have been tied up in a conference committee for almost two months.

Local Coverage

Sep 24, 2020

A boy sits on his bike in front of law enforcement at the Kenosha County Courthouse on Aug. 24, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

As School Reopens, Don’t Forget The Hidden Victims Of Police Violence: Children

Black youth who witness police violence, even through online media, often express elevated symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, write three childhood health experts.

Cognoscenti

Aug 31, 2020

Police work to keep demonstrators back during a protest in Lafayette Square Park on May 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Sociologist Michael Sierra-Arévalo On Why Police Expect Danger And How It Drives Brutality

Police officers are taught to expect danger on the job. Sociologist Michael Sierra-Arévalo says that expectation might be a root cause of police brutality.

On Point

47:13Jul 16, 2020

The BU Mascot Rhett on February 3, 2015 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. (Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Don't Think Racism Is Baked Into Our Culture? Just Look At BU's Beloved Mascot, Rhett The Terrier

How did a progressive-thinking northern university end up with a mascot named for a character from one of the most successful pro-Confederate, and racist, romances in American culture?

Cognoscenti

Jul 7, 2020

Police officers block a road on the fourth day of protests on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Police Training In America: How Can We Fix A Broken System?

The Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks had just completed a course in de-escalation. Why was his instinct to shoot?

On Point

47:30Jun 25, 2020

People raise their hands as they protest at the makeshift memorial in honour of George Floyd, on June 4, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

America's Call For A Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement

The call for a modern-day civil rights movement. We talk to two scholars of history about the need for change and healing.

On Point

47:08Jun 9, 2020

Demonstrators raise their fists in a sign of solidarity while protesting the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while while being arrested and pinned to the ground by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, at the Colorado State Capital in Denver, Colorado on June 3, 2020. (Jason Connolly/AFP)

Protests For Racial Justice: Community Organizers Share Stories From The Ground

Protests over racism and police brutality continue to grip the country. We hear the stories of organizers on the ground.

On Point

46:55Jun 8, 2020

Demonstrators march through the streets of Hollywood, California, on June 2, 2020, to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

'Show You Care': A Conversation With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar About Racism In America

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins us to talk about race, America and the George Floyd protests.

On Point

47:10Jun 4, 2020

A man addresses a row of police officers during a "Justice for George Floyd" event in Houston, Texas on May 30, 2020, after George Floyd, an unarmed black, died while being arrested and pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer. (MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)

What The George Floyd Protests Reveal About Policing In The U.S.

Protests erupt against police brutality and use of force. In many cities, police are responding with even more force. We look at what it means about policing in America.

On Point

47:18Jun 2, 2020

Protestors watch as police in riot gear walk down a residential street, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

Death Of George Floyd: A Long History Of Racism And Policing In America

The historic forces behind the death of George Floyd.

On Point

47:12Jun 1, 2020

The Democratic National Committee, writes Miles Howard, should choose Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota as its new chair this week. Pictured: Ellison addresses a forum on the future of the Democratic Party, featuring candidates running to be the next chair of the DNC, on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, in Denver. The candidates spoke during the Association of State Democratic Chairs session. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Minnesota Gov. Says State AG Keith Ellison Will Lead Prosecutions Related To George Floyd Death

Walz's decision to have Attorney General Keith Ellison take the lead comes after requests from activists, some City Council members and a civil rights group, who said putting Ellison on...

Local Coverage

May 31, 2020

A semitrailer drove through a highway in Minneapolis crowded with people protesting the death of George Floyd on Sunday.

Semi-Trailer Drives Through Crowd Of Protesters On Minneapolis Highway, No One Hurt

The Minnesota State Patrol says in a tweet that the the driver was apparently trying to provoke protesters and was arrested.

Local Coverage

May 31, 2020

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presents a tribute to Muhammad Ali at the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/IAP)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On American Values

NBA all-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his call to heal this angry, divided country.

On Point

47:17Aug 18, 2016

Police officers visit a makeshift memorial at the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department Saturday in Dallas. Five police officers are dead and several injured following a shooting in downtown Dallas Thursday night. (Eric Gay/AP)

After Dallas, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile — The Latest Research On Potential Police Bias

"Every societal failing, we put it off on the cops to solve," said Dallas Police Chief David Brown at a news conference Monday.

Radio Boston

30:00Jul 11, 2016

In this April 27, 2016, photo, Lezley McSpadden poses for a portrait in St. Louis. McSpadden was sitting in her car on a smoke break from her grocery store job on Aug. 9, 2014, when a friend told her someone had been shot near Canfield Apartments in Ferguson, Mo. After that her life crumbled learning her son, 18-year-old son Michael Brown, had been shot and killed by a police officer. McSpadden recounts what happened that fateful day two summers ago in her autobiography, "Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil," set to be released Tuesday, May 10, 2016, and co-written by Lyah Beth LeFlore. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Michael Brown’s Mother On Her Son's Life, Death

Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson by a white police officer set off a nation-wide debate on racial justice. His mother is now speaking out. She joins us. Plus, a closer...

On Point

45:56May 11, 2016

A woman stands on a car during a party in the street in Baltimore on Saturday, May 2, 2015, the day after charges were announced against the police officers involved in Freddie Gray's death. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

2015: The Year In The News

We look back on 2015. Same -sex marriage. ISIS. Campus protests. A campaign like no other. The big news issues of 2015, and where they’re headed.

On Point

48:14Dec 24, 2015

In this Nov. 24, 2015 file photo, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, right, speaks about first-degree murder charges against police officer Jason Van Dyke in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel looks on at left. Emanuel announced at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, that McCarthy has been fired after a public outcry over the handling of the case. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Chicago Protests Push Police Chief Out Of Office

The Chicago Police Superintendent is pushed out of office, and protests in the Windy City continue.

On Point

Dec 2, 2015