In part two of my interview with Dr. Kimya, she talks about Black mental health and why cops are often found not guilty at their trials.
Here is Dr. Kimya's call to action:
- I (Dr. Kimya) demand a 10-year process resulting in 95% reduction in police funds and 95% reduction in police officers. There must be annual financial audits and annual policies, practices, and behavioral assessments for the remaining 5% of police funds. The researchers conducting the assessment cannot be selected and hired by police officials, law enforcement agencies, and government entities.
- Stop pretending police can be "reformed." Pretending reformation ignores or downplays the Emancipation Proclamation-based origins of USA police and ignores how Black people have demanded changes and reduction to police.
- People need to understand that Black people needing police is based on millions of tax payer dollars invested in police departments, inadequate police trainings, and police military equipment rather than millions of tax payer dollars invested in preventive measures--improving school materials and reducing inequities in school tests and school accreditation requirements, improving community holistic-based mental health and physical health services (including health and suicide crisis lines that do not include police--police are NOT first responders), workforce development, family services, and funding and resources for non-wealthy community businesses and non-wealthy community non-profits.
- Black communities, in particular, are intentionally forced to rely on the 2 Ps: Politicians and Police. This never changes if Black people keep trusting and relying on politicians, political parties, and police departments. We can vote, pay taxes, and demand things from these powerful people without relying on these powerful people for our lives and our resources.
- It is important for Black people to realize centuries of white people (and token Black people and token non-Black people) punishing Black people when we are non-compliant. Examples include police intentionally not responding to crime incidents in an attempt to punish Black people for demanding defunding of police, etc. Police have never been defunded anywhere in USA. Crime data does not represent reduction in police funds or reduction in police presence (with exception to when police ignore calls for help)
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