JLI’s Statement of Solidarity
JLI’s Statement of Solidarity
Black Lives Matter. The Journal of Law & Inequality extends its deepest sympathies to Mr. George Floyd’s loved ones and condemns the unequal legal system that continues to destroy Black American lives like Mr. Floyd’s. The Journal is deeply concerned that police brutality is disproportionately affecting Black Americans in our city and demands an independent and unbiased investigation into Mr. Floyd’s killing.
The Journal acknowledges its own role in perpetuating racial inequality by not having Black voices in positions of power within the Journal. The Journal will strive to include Black editors and staff members within its ranks and will continue to provide a platform for Black authors to publish scholarship, including articles that analyze how the law perpetuates systemic racial oppression, exploitation, and discrimination.
JLI will publish a short-form article on Inequality Inquiry as a response to Mr. George Floyd’s killing. JLI is also working on a long-form article that will take a historical look at police brutality against Black Americans in the Twin Cities, current practices within MPD and other Minnesota law enforcement agencies that enable unleashing state-sponsored violence on Black Americans, and propose a myriad of solutions that fall anywhere on the reform spectrum from “practical” to “radical.”
We hope this article will be informative, in line with the Journal as a scholarship space, and add value to the understanding of how Black Americans experience law enforcement in a diametrically opposite manner compared to wealthy, suburban White communities. We hope to publish this in the next six to eight weeks. We will also talk to experts and publish a podcast or a video interview as a companion piece to go with this article.