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Could systemic racism be dismantled by implementing small changes?

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On average, police kill 1,100 people each year since 2013. More than 30% of Black adults worry every day that they may be threatened or attacked due to their race or ethnicity. The spotlight on George Floyd’s death highlighted the issue of police violence toward minority communities. So what are solutions to end gun violence against Black Americans and what are the systems that can ensure accountability in police shootings?

Ruha Benjamin has written in her book, “Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want”, the idea that small minute changes to day-to-day life will eventually add up and solve the problem of anti-Black police violence. She focuses on individual stories to unpack the habits and decisions that can ultimately lead to a wide change.

Is the violence against persons of color easily solvable? How can society transform through choices a few people make every day? What small changes can society make to have a bigger impact on racism? How does technology play a role in systemic racism?

Guest: Ruha Benjamin, Ph.D., author, professor of African American studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab. Her latest release is "Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want"

"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org or tweet@TPRSource.

*This interview was recorded on Tuesday, December 6.

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