“What’s it like to be in the police on Juneteenth?”

Jun 21

That’s what my best friend asked a group of Black police officers on Juneteenth.

*Four mannequins in police uniforms | Created by Jay W. Austin & DALL•E*

The four officers didn’t know what to say, really. One stared straight ahead, shaking his head from side to side. Almost as if to say, “Who does she think she is?”

One officer responded. “Well, it’s nice to see the community out and about.”

We were sitting at 18th & Vine in Kansas City, MO, just down the street from the Jazz Museum and the Negro League Hall of Fame. There were thousands of us enjoying this day of freedom.

The question was sharp, for sure. But if there were ever a day for the police to be engaging with the community in a positive way, then it’d be that day.

I wondered if they grasped the historical gravity of the question.

Do they understand how this system of mass incarceration is the direct descendant of that peculiar institution of slavery? Do they feel as if they’re perpetuating this cycle of trauma, or dismantling it from the inside out?

They ask us difficult questions all the time, expecting an answer. But they gave me the sense that they felt it was unfair for us to do the same to them.

Police often feel misunderstood. In this moment, though, I think they may have realized that they didn’t understand themselves.

My best friend’s question proved that no weapon, blue line, or bullet proof vest can shield them from a polite, thoughtful inquisition for the truth.

Aye, I’m Jay. You’re on my personal site where I post things I make about interrupting mass incarceration, protecting migration, environmental justice & sustainability, language, communications, storytelling, creativity, and tech.

Learn about my ventures here, check out my non-profit initiative here, or explore my consultant services here.