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This past weekend, March for Science leader and communications team member @claytoff had a harrowing experience with the police department in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania as he and friends enjoyed a night of celebration, food, fire and music.
The incident resulted in the arrest of Dr. Kaye Georeen without any explanation of crime or violation of law.
Luckily, everyone survived this incident but survival cannot be the bar for police engagement with Black people.
Luckily, everyone survived this incident but survival cannot be the bar for police engagement with Black people.
We have seen hundreds of pictures and videos of Black people needlessly murdered during interactions with police officers.
Forgoing debate about the circumstances of these incidents, most of which were either non-violent or occurred during a mental health crisis...
March for Science points to established and emerging studies on the psychological effects of police brutality on Black people to substantiate its position that police brutality is a public health crisis.
To be clear, brutality is not limited to physical harm or mortality. Indeed, a study in the American Journal of Public Health notes “brutality goes beyond physical force. It includes emotional and sexual violence as well as verbal assault and psychological intimidation.”
Black people are managing generational trauma as entire families are left deal with the emotional and psychological trauma from structural racism, which scientific studies show have physical implications.
Indeed, one study out of UPenn notes that “killings of unarmed African Americans have adverse effects on mental health among Black American adults who were not directly affected by the incident.”
POLICE BRUTALITY IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS FOR BLACK AMERICANS As it has before, March for Science states now, unequivocally that #BlackLivesMatter
.
ACTION ALERT: Please sign this petition to tell Mayor Papenfuse to fire Brandon Hoover! We must ensure Black people are safe from HBP aggression and all residents can enjoy the rights they are legally afforded without fear for their personal safety. https://secure.everyaction.com/bhg4sn25F02v6frGGpT3yA2?fbclid=IwAR0QtXWsXICuRe4nNLqE8JbxHZzYDG3JldtrwhxJb72tBBvBOR13PcEMjPQ
Here are some resources on racism, police brutality, and public health:
Police killings and Black mental health by Greg Johnson https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/police-killings-and-black-mental-health?fbclid=IwAR2F28e5W7RIEgsYrrXrtDALvJ-op2F1CxUzM5pj0rRwHkAi5lKVL4KmLW4
Police killings and Black mental health by Greg Johnson https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/police-killings-and-black-mental-health?fbclid=IwAR2F28e5W7RIEgsYrrXrtDALvJ-op2F1CxUzM5pj0rRwHkAi5lKVL4KmLW4
Police Brutality and Black Health: Setting the Agenda for Public Health Scholars by Sirry Alang, PhD, Donna McAlpine, PhD, Ellen McCreedy, PhD, MPH, and Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388955/?fbclid=IwAR1pQLlDhZTSppS1xbfxf0f8HQCsAJBpfJbSZmojrjExA83s-l4iD0QAYH0
Police killing black people is a pandemic, too by Osagie K. Obasogie https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/police-violence-pandemic/2020/06/05/e1a2a1b0-a669-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html
Police Brutality and Mental Health in the African-American Community by Erin Steatean https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/police-brutality-mental-health?fbclid=IwAR2jh9AJyz8GhBcryLzQYTkTVVLXPLSI1fCxXNGdFDT8XjDC5NbAauZw2Mc
Why police brutality is a matter of public health by Len Strazewski https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/why-police-brutality-matter-public-health?fbclid=IwAR27UOVgvDFzyX2shqhoNDya4dThPIJdfiVZOj0D__LR2JUmBlW_fUEvWWo
