"Poetic Witness: Policing and Race" - April 2021 Exhibit
During the Spring 2021 semester, TSU student poets partnered with Criminal Justice majors to gain insight and prospective into the relationship between racial identity and law enforcement. As a collective, we agreed to explore the topics below, divided into groups, and let our research and creativity illuminate a path toward understanding. After identifying case studies that embodied areas of concern, groups paired: criminal justice students wrote critical essays analyzing the incidents and student poets preserved these moments in poetry. Their efforts are listed below. We thank you for your consideration.
Faculty Facilitators: Drs. Michelle J. Pinkard, English and Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen, Criminal Justice
Faculty Facilitators: Drs. Michelle J. Pinkard, English and Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen, Criminal Justice
Topic: Blue Code of Force
Group CASE STUDY: The Exonerated Five. The five men suspected of the crime were Kharey Wise, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam. They were wrongfully accused and convicted of raping and beating a woman in Central Park in New York City. Essay: "Blue Code of Force: The Exonerated Five" by Autumn Chambliss and Arielle Echols, Criminal Justice Majors |
Read Carolyn Shelby's poem by clicking here:
Plugged In Watch her Visual Interpretation by clicking here: Plugged In: A Visual Poem |
Topic: Communication Skills between Police and Community
Group CASE STUDY: The story of Antonio Arnelo Smith's walk from Walgreens in February 2021 that took a sharp downward spiral when officers pulled over and got out of their vehicle to stop him for a complaint call on another man that had been harassing customers in front of Walgreens.
Essay: "Communication Skills between Police and Community"
by Dillon Burnley and Jade Walker, Criminal Justice Majors
Group CASE STUDY: The story of Antonio Arnelo Smith's walk from Walgreens in February 2021 that took a sharp downward spiral when officers pulled over and got out of their vehicle to stop him for a complaint call on another man that had been harassing customers in front of Walgreens.
Essay: "Communication Skills between Police and Community"
by Dillon Burnley and Jade Walker, Criminal Justice Majors
Read DeAnthony Reed's poem by clicking here:
Boys in Blue Watch his Visual Interpretation by clicking here: Boys in Blue: Visual Poem |
Read Myah Jackson's poem by clicking here:
A Walk From Water Watch her Visual Interpretation by clicking here: A Walk From Water: Visual Poem |
Topic: Policing the Black Body
Group CASE STUDY: Prince Jones was shot numerous times by undercover police officers resulting in his death.
Group CASE STUDY: Prince Jones was shot numerous times by undercover police officers resulting in his death.
Read Kyra Anderson's poem by clicking here:
Prince Jones Watch her Visual Interpretation by clicking here: Prince Jones: Visual Poem |
Read Anarra William's poem by clicking here:
Stuck in the Past That We call Future Watch her Visual Interpretation by clicking here: Stuck in the Past: Visual Poem |
Topic: Political Reform
Group CASE STUDY: The Kyle Rittenhouse case. During a peaceful Back Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, WI, Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, arrived with a AR-15. He allegedly killed two men along with injuring others.
Group CASE STUDY: The Kyle Rittenhouse case. During a peaceful Back Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, WI, Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, arrived with a AR-15. He allegedly killed two men along with injuring others.
Read Dyamond Shay's poem by clicking here:
We Walk, Proclaiming Our Struggle Watch her Visual Interpretation by clicking here: We Walk: Visual Poem |
Read Daniel Kean's poem by clicking here:
Equal Watch his Visual Interpretation by clicking here: Equal: Visual Poem |
Topic: Proper Training for Police
Group CASE STUDY: Beat Commander Team, Detroit Police Department: they tried to respond to high crime rates by over-policing predominately black and urban areas which ended up backfiring on them. Read Tori Wilson-Richardson's poem: "Execution" |
Topic: Say her Name
Group CASE STUDY: Natasha McKenna was a 37-year-old Africana woman who was murdered in Fairfax County, Virginia. She was in police custody when she died. Essay: "Say Her Name: Natasha McKenna" by Brianna Chapple Read Scott's poem: Our Sister's Keeper Watch Visual Poem: Our Sister's Keeper |
Topic: George Floyd, Use of Force
Essay: "Use of Force Influenced by Race" by Jamontre Chirstmon and Alexis Bryant, Criminal Justice Majors Poetry: "Police Took an Oath," by Kierra Calhoun (Listen to Police Took an Oath." Poetry: Daily Prayer, by Sela Jordan |
Topic: George Floyd,
Social Construction of the Dangerous Black Male Essay: "The Trajectory/Historical Evolution of Police in The United State of America" by Sunday Nebechi and Kasandra Sanders Criminal Justice Majors Poetry: "Let Our Justice System be Just Again" by Brittany Brooks Visual Poem: "Let Our Justice System be Just Again." |