A death in the family: a metaphor about race and police brutality
Abstract
Purpose
This essay was written in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks by police in 2020 and the surge of social justice protests they helped to reignite.
Design/methodology/approach
This essay uses a metaphor that nearly everyone can understand to help build common understanding around the unique impact of police killings of Black people on other Black people.
Findings
This essay uses social psychological theory and our experiences as Black Americans and diversity scholars to illustrate why interracial conversations about police killings of Black people may not proceed as intended.
Originality/value
In the wake of growing social justice protests aimed at combating systemic racism in the US, many individuals and organizations are wrestling with determining how people can talk about race. This is uncharted territory for many, as sociological research shows that racioethnic integration has stalled or even regressed in schools, workplaces and social networks in the US This essay seeks to help readers move toward a common understanding to facilitate more empathetic interracial interactions involving Black people in the aftermath of these traumatic experiences.
Keywords
Citation
Avery, D.R. and Ruggs, E.N. (2020), "A death in the family: a metaphor about race and police brutality", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 39 No. 7, pp. 769-773. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2020-0169
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited