Strive: Toward a more just, sustainable future

‘Trauma and struggle’: Being Black in America

September 24, 2021 Larry Dean, BYP 100 Season 1 Episode 4
Strive: Toward a more just, sustainable future
‘Trauma and struggle’: Being Black in America
Show Notes

Welcome to Strive, a podcast by IPS News. My name is Marty Logan. 

Today we’re talking about the aftermath of the horrendous murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the protests that ensued. But first, this is the fourth episode of the show, and we’d really like to hear what you think of it. So could you please take a minute to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you!

The brutal murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 horrified people around the world. The weeks of massive demonstrations that followed, and the often violent response by police, left many of us captivated and inspired others worldwide to take to the streets in solidarity. 

Racial justice activist and organizer Larry Dean would normally have been leading people onto the streets of Chicago, as he had been doing for a decade—but this killing struck him to his core. Instead he went back to his family home to try to tune out the world. 

Today, Dean looks back on those dark days and can identify some shafts of light in the movement for racial justice and equality in the United States. But are they bright enough to reveal a path to autonomy and freedom for Black people, one that can overcome a biased justice system, impoverished schools, police budgets that are still ballooning in many cities and many other barriers? 

Listen now to my conversation with Larry Dean to find out. 

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