Harvard experts discuss how to effect lasting change
The continuing nationwide demonstrations launched after the police killing of George Floyd have sparked a debate among minority groups and leaders, activists, academics, and public officials over how best to convert the energy of this moment into meaningful and lasting change. Some have called for overhauling laws that shield police officers from accountability or policing practices that have tended to lead to excessive force disproportionately used against African Americans. Others want to shrink the ranks of officers and shift the funding to increase social services, thereby reducing the need for enforcers. But for many, racial violence is just one manifestation of wider systemic disparities facing African Americans in arenas like health, education, employment, economy, and housing that also must be addressed. So the Gazette asked faculty members across the University to share their views on this question: What actions would you most like to see taken next to begin building...