Landmarks
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Issues in Action
Elliott Smith
Cicely Lewis, Executive Editor
Lerner Publications Minneapolis
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LETTER FROM CICELY LEWIS
LETTER FROM CICELY LEWIS
Dear Reader,
I started the Read Woke challenge in response to the needs of my
students. I wanted my students to read books that challenged social
norms, gave voice to the voiceless, and sought to challenge the status
quo. Have you ever felt as if the truth was being hidden from you? Have
you ever felt like adults are not telling
you the full story because you are too
young? Well, I believe you have a right to
know about the issues that are plaguing
our society. I believe that you have a
right to hear the truth.
I created Read Woke Books because
I want you to be knowledgeable and
compassionate citizens. You will be the
leaders of our society soon, and you
need to be equipped with knowledge so
that you can treat others with the dignity
and respect they deserve. And so you
can be treated with that same respect.
Cicely Lewis
As you turn these pages, learn about how history has impacted the
things we do today. Hopefully you can be the change that helps to make
our world a better place for all.
Cicely Lewis, Executive Editor
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Table of Contents
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TRAGIC SUMMER
TRAGIC SUMMER
THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2020 PUT A SPOTLIGHT
ON POLICE BRUTALITY IN THE UNITED STATES. Several
high-profile cases of police brutality led to serious injury and
death. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, George Floyd died after
a police officer held his knee to Floyds neck for more than
seven minutes. Police killed Breonna Taylor in her own home
in Louisville, Kentucky. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake was
paralyzed after police shot him seven times in the back. Daniel
Prude was killed by police in Rochester, New York, after his
brother called officers for help.
A mural honored George Floyd after his death at the
hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2020.
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These tragic killings were met with frustration and anger.
People across the country protested police violence. Chants
of Black lives matter echoed from coast to coast. Celebrities
and athletes used their platforms to call for justice. Organizers
demanded reforms of police departments.
While the names of those lost will forever be remembered,
they are just the latest victims of a long-term problem. Police
brutality has been an issue since the founding of the first
police departments in the nineteenth century. Victims such as
Michael Brown and Eric Garner, whose killings sparked waves
of protest in 2014, are part of this tragic story. But most
victims suffer without anyone hearing their stories. Cases of
Black women killed by police often get less media attention.
People protest police violence in Washington,
DC, in August 2020.
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One example is the 2017 police killing of Alteria Woods. Woods
was killed under circumstances similar to Taylors. Yet Woodss
name appeared in few news outlets.
Between 2015 and 2020 alone, police killed over five
thousand people. Studies have shown that Black people are
about three times more likely than white people to be killed
by police. And police brutality is one among many problems in
the criminal justice system. Many reports show Black, Latino,
and American Indian people are more likely to be stopped,
arrested, and prosecuted than white people.
There are two systems of justice in the United States,
Jacob Blake Sr. said after his son was shot. Theres a white
system. And theres a Black system. The Black system aint