Dispatches from the Protests. Black Rebellion and Abolitionism

Cinzia Arruzza (The New School)

The last three weeks have changed the face of the country: thousands of people have taken to the streets in a Black and Brown led rebellion to protest police brutality and anti-Blackness as well as the larger social structure that makes institutionalized racism possible. Defunding the police is a demand that is gaining traction and is increasingly appealing to large numbers of people. But what does it mean to defund the police and what connection does this demand have to abolitionism? How can we contribute to the growth of this multiracial but Black and Brown led rebellion? What do solidarity and collective responsibility mean in this context? In this panel discussion, three activists will have a dialogue around these questions: Cinzia Arruzza (Associate Professor of Philosophy), Justin Charles (#DefundNYPD campaign, Parsons alumnus, and part-time faculty), and Miriam Ticktin (Associate Professor of Anthropology).