Jelani Cobb describes how the relationship between black Americans and the police has become a “barometer” for race relations in the country and that explosive tensions are “overwhelmingly” in response to an issue of police use of force.

Ch. 2: Panel Discussion on Radical Police Reform - The Daily Show - Air Date 6-10-20

Trevor hosts a panel on movements to radically reimagine policing in the U.S. with Patrisse Cullors, Josie Duffy Rice, Sam Sinyangwe, Mychal Denzel Smith and Alex S. Vitale.

Ch. 3: The Racial Justice Uprising in the U.S. is Taking Hold Overseas - The Takeaway - Air Date 6-8-20

Explaining that an overburdened police system that takes on way too much, including much that is outside the realm of their training, is something that no one should want.

Ch. 4: The End of Policing with Alex Vitale - The Bastani Factor, Novara Media - Air Date 6-3-20

Aaron Bastani interviews author of ‘The End of Policing’, Alex Vitale, to ask just how bad law enforcement is in the United States, and what can be done about it.

Ch. 5: Defunding the Police Is Only the Beginning - The Mother Jones Podcast - Air Date 6-17-20

Josie Duffy Rice joins Jamilah King for a discussion about the recent police killing of Rayshard Brookes in Atlanta, the deep racist and classist structural issues with policing in America, and why defunding the police is only step one.

Ch. 6: Defund Police What It Means & How It Would Really Work - News Beat - Air Date 6-16-20

In the wake of the police slaying of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters have not only flooded the streets, but they're actively pushing reforms that go well beyond traditional solutions.

Ch. 7: How to Defund the Police - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-11-20

Racism is baked into the U.S. model of policing. More and more people are starting to believe that no amount of "reform" will help; a full tear-down is required. But what does "defunding the police" actually mean?

Ch. 8: Is It Time To Defund the Police? - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 6-11-20

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors joins Mehdi Hasan to discuss the future of policing and community-oriented systems of public safety in the United States.

Ch. 9: The Politics of "Defund the Police" - Politics with Amy Walter, The Takeaway - Air Date 6-12-20

Congress is reckoning with how to respond to the protests and calls for police accountability. Two national reporters join to discuss the Justice in Policing Act of 2020.

Ch. 10: We Can't Let The Uprising Get Co-opted - The Michael Brooks Show - Air Date 6-10-20

Notes on the uprising and how we move forward without allowing the forces of neoliberalism to co-opt the movement.

Ch. 11: TAKE ACTION:#DefundthePolice Locally via @IndivisibleTeam & Nationally with The #BREATHEAct via @Mvmnt4BlkLives

Call on Local Officials to #DefundthePolice via Indivisible

Ch. 12: Angela Davis: Abolishing police is not just about dismantling. It’s also about building up. - Democracy Now - Air Date 6-12-2020

Amid a worldwide uprising against police brutality and racism, we discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis.

VOICEMAILS

Ch. 13: Taken on a journey - Nick from California

FINAL COMMENTS

Ch. 14: Final comments puncturing the myth of the individuality of whiteness

TAKE ACTION

LOCAL: DEFUND THE POLICE

Call on Local Officials to #DefundthePolice via Indivisible

Indivisible Black Lives Solidarity Action

NATIONAL: PASS THE BREATHE ACT

Learn about and support the BREATHE Act

Spread the word about the BREATHE Act

Sign on as Community Sponsor of the BREATHE Act

ELECTORAL: SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE RACIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES

Upcoming State Primaries

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

The Movement for Black Lives Introduces the BREATHE Act (Colorlines)

What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Mag,)

What Does It Mean to Invest in Black Communities? (The Nation)

How to Defund the Police (The New Yorker)

How to Make Defunding the Police a Reality (The Nation)

The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police (Bloomberg)

Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer (ACLU)

The Black Lives Matter Protests Are Working. Here’s Proof. (HuffPost)

Why We’re Demanding No Cops for Veep (The Nation)

Researched & Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman

MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):

Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
PolyCoat - The Cabinetmaker
Tripoli - Pecan Grove
The Wooden Platform - The Bulwark
Tar and Spackle - Plaster
Quaver - Codebreaker
Begrudge - Darby
Eventual Victory - Codebreaker
Sunday Lights - Onesuch Village
Cloud Line - K4
Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent

SHOW IMAGE

“Justice for George Floyd - We Demand Change Now” by Fibonacci Blue (Flickr) | Changes: Cropped | License

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to this episode of the award winning best of left podcast in which we shall learn
0:07.4	about the concept of defunding the police.
0:10.8	What it means, what it doesn't, and what the goals of the movement are.
0:15.3	And before we begin, I had an idea that I think may help some people orient themselves
0:21.1	properly to this topic.
0:23.4	You know, a lot of people in the US are not only comfortable with the police, but feel
0:27.6	protected by them.
0:28.6	So the idea of getting rid of them is understandably scary.
0:33.7	The somewhat logical extension of that is that then the people calling to defund the police
0:39.6	either want something scary to happen or they just don't care about the people who are
0:44.8	scared.
0:46.3	So for the person who's nervous about defunding the police, listening to this, let's do
0:51.1	a little thought experiment.
0:53.0	Instead of accepting that face of value, the premise of wanting to abolish the police,
0:59.9	let's start with a completely imaginary hypothetical.
1:04.3	Imagine that in 20 years from now, police are going to disappear, whether any of us want
1:11.9	them to or not.
1:12.9	We have no choice.
1:14.3	There is magic involved.
1:16.2	Poof, they're gone, completely hypothetical, completely imaginary.
1:20.3	So in 20 years, when the police disappear, there will be no one to control the homeless
1:27.0	populations.
	...

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