National Civil Rights Museum To Hold Discussion On Systemic Racial Violence, Biased Policing

Photos: National Civil Rights Museum

Memphis, TN, June 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Civil Rights Museum will host the second of four hybrid, national convenings entitled “The Resolve: Eliminating Systemic Racism and Toxic Cultures” on June 7 at 6:30 pm Central. As part of “The Reckoning, The Resolve, The Restoration, and The Resilience” series, the Museum brings together thought leaders, policymakers, surviving families, and activists to examine the historical connections of systemic racial violence and find solutions for today’s challenges.

During the second gathering, participants will discuss the historical context of policing in the U.S., from the creation of slave patrols to apprehend runaway enslaved people, the enforcement of Black Codes following the end of the Civil War, the emergence of Jim Crow laws following the ratification of the 14th Amendment, to the modern era of American policing that often employs military tactics to “maintain peace.” This panel discussion will examine how structural racism has influenced toxic cultures that negatively impact law enforcement and produce biased-based policing strategies.

Panelists will include:

• Dr. De Lacy Davis, a 20-year veteran sergeant who retired from service in East Orange, New Jersey, in 2006, is an activist, author, and community leader who has held the copyright for “What to Do When Stopped by the Police?”, a primer for “The Talk” that Black parents give to their sons to prepare them for when the police may stop them.
• Howard Henderson is a professor of criminal justice and founding director of the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University.  A Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Howard’s research focuses on structural and cultural predictors of criminal justice system disparities.
• Amber Sherman, a political strategist, activist, and organizer, is a native Memphian and a graduate of Hodges University with a Master of Legal Studies degree, Summa Cum Laude. Her thesis, “Innocent Until Proven Guilty: An Argument for the Unconstitutionality of the U.S. Bail System,” has been studied at law schools and used to draft end money bail legislation in Tennessee.
• Ryan Jones, Interim Director, Interpretation, Collections, and Education, serves as the museum’s historian and curator, validating interpretation and reviewing scholarly content shared by the Museum. He is a dual masters-doctoral candidate in the University of Memphis History Department. He is writing his dissertation on the violence in the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi and Alabama, focusing specifically on little-known, cold cases that impacted legislation in those states in the mid-1960s.
• The moderator is Deidre Malone, founder of the Memphis PR firm Carter Malone Group. She has previously served as VP of Marketing Development for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Director of Public Relations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She is a former Shelby County Commissioner and former president of the NAACP Memphis Branch.

“This dialogue allows us to acknowledge the longstanding and systemic racism that has plagued our nation and to work towards viable solutions that create a more equitable culture for all of us,” said Dr. Russ Wigginton, Museum President. “Stemming from the institution of slavery and throughout de jure and de facto segregation, policing, racial profiling, and excessive force tactics have been normalized. This has created the most recent escalation of Black and Brown victims of such treatment. We must say more and do more to end this troubling narrative.”

The National Civil Rights Museum is committed to being a convener of understanding and positive change. The museum has launched this collaborative effort to include a broad spectrum of citizens from many disciplines, industries, and roles to root out the causes at a systemic level.

On September 6, Part 3, “The Restoration,” will highlight justice and humanity through hope and healing. The series will culminate with “The Resilience,” a national symposium in February 2024 in Memphis. The national symposium combines the learnings and recommended solutions from the convenings to create an expanded platform for cause-and-effect discussions, data sharing, legislative policy, and transformative resolution.

Through the Catalyst Fund, the museum has garnered supporters like FedEx, to support the collaboration and learn from other cities and organizations nationwide.

The 6:30 pm Central event will live-stream on the museum’s website and YouTube channels. A reception precedes the panel at 6:00 pm. Registration is highly recommended. There is limited capacity for in-person guests of the free event.

For more information, visit the National Civil Rights Museum.

About the National Civil Rights Museum

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. The Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights.  It educates and serves as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change.

A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries.  It is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today’s Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC’s Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.

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• The Resolve: Eliminating Systemic Racism and Toxic Cultures