NEW YORK (Reuters) – As calls to disband police departments grow nationwide, Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at Georgetown University and author of 21 books including “We Can not Stop: A Sermon to White America,” joined the #AskReuters Twitter chat series to speak about authorities, demonstrations and politics.
FILE IMAGE: Georgetown University Teacher Rev. Michael Eric Dyson speaks at the funeral service for the late vocalist Aretha Franklin at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., August 31,2018 REUTERS/Mike Segar
Below are edited highlights of his discussion with Lauren Young and April Joyner of Reuters.
April Joyner: How will current demonstrations shape the future of policing in the U.S.?
Michael Eric Dyson: I believe policing will be dramatically various. With Congress today proposing legislation to prohibit chokeholds, that’s a major step forward. Arguments about defunding the authorities are likewise on the horizon.
For example, in New Jersey, we’ve seen examples of the defunding of the cops and eliminating cops departments. Whether it’s outright abolition or not, a minimum of the discussion is on the table.
People are thinking seriously about restraining cops and keepi