Dive deep into the intricate relationship between colonialism and contemporary policing practices.

Our panelists—an interdisciplinary group of experts and community leaders, including Nick Estes (American Indian Studies, University of Minnesota), Marisol LeBrón (Feminist Studies and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, UC Santa Cruz), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (District 65B), and Joaquin Villanueva (Environment Geography and Earth and Peace Studies, Gustavus Adolphus)—will take the colonial territory of Puerto Rico as a jumping off point. They will discuss how police power reinforced social inequality, worsened conditions of vulnerability in marginalized communities, and spurred a cycle of criminalization and harm. But they will also ask: how can these cycles be interrupted? How do the lasting effects of this history complicate the notion of a just or equitable form of law enforcement? By examining the consequences of the colonial roots of policing, we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities faced by anyone striving for postcolonial justice.

Image: Puerto Rico National Guard (US Army) in Jayuya, Puerto Rico, during the 1950 Jayuya Uprising. Originally published by El Imparcial. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.