"As we approach elections, we're seeing that a lot of people genuinely do not understand that the "Defund the Police" movement is about redefining community safety. So I wrote an article about the reality of policing in America for BIPOC lives, the many systems we can implement (that are already in place in other parts of the world) instead to keep marginalized communities safe, and why Asian Americans in particular need to get on board."
This article was written for the Black Allyship @Mochi column. Mochi Magazine is an online destination for Asian American women to share their stories, experiences, and passions. Click on the link to read the entire article.
Excerpt: Over the past month, there has been increasingly less media coverage of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and associated protests against police brutality and systemic racism. And yet, another horrifying video of violence against a Black person has gone viral: this time, the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Wisconsin police officer on Aug. 23 in broad daylight in front of Blake’s three young children.
A police officer is not a judge, jury and executioner. A civilian’s previous history with the law is not justification for getting shot in the back seven times. There is clearly a deadly double standard in play when wanted white people with weapons are safely subdued — or even thanked and given water in Kyle Rittenhouse’s case — whereas Black people are immediately perceived as threats, whether they are armed or not. At the time of publication, the officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake have been placed on administrative leave, not arrested. And while the officer who murdered George Floyd was arrested only after weeks of public pressure, Breonna Taylor’s murderers still walk free.
Credit: MappingPoliceViolence.org
These are not isolated incidents. This violence will not end if we are complacent. Educating ourselves on how law enforcement works — and knowing which of our leaders truly care about community safety and the lives of Black, Indigeneous, and people of color (BIPOC) — is more important than ever as we approach the 2020 elections.
sarah jinee park 
This article was written for the Black Allyship @Mochi column. Mochi Magazine is an online destination for Asian American women to share their stories, experiences, and passions. Click on the link to read the entire article.
If We Defund the Police, Who Will We Call?, September 11, 2020
Excerpt: Over the past month, there has been increasingly less media coverage of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and associated protests against police brutality and systemic racism. And yet, another horrifying video of violence against a Black person has gone viral: this time, the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Wisconsin police officer on Aug. 23 in broad daylight in front of Blake’s three young children.
A police officer is not a judge, jury and executioner. A civilian’s previous history with the law is not justification for getting shot in the back seven times. There is clearly a deadly double standard in play when wanted white people with weapons are safely subdued — or even thanked and given water in Kyle Rittenhouse’s case — whereas Black people are immediately perceived as threats, whether they are armed or not. At the time of publication, the officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake have been placed on administrative leave, not arrested. And while the officer who murdered George Floyd was arrested only after weeks of public pressure, Breonna Taylor’s murderers still walk free.
These are not isolated incidents. This violence will not end if we are complacent. Educating ourselves on how law enforcement works — and knowing which of our leaders truly care about community safety and the lives of Black, Indigeneous, and people of color (BIPOC) — is more important than ever as we approach the 2020 elections.
Read the rest here.
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