Racialized Violence and Deaths at the Hands of Police between 2000-2020: Reflecting on this year's LEAD XII Summit at Cal State University San Bernardino

 Friends,

Inspired by the late Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, who was himself brutalized by the police, check out the work of demographer and statistician, Jesús Garcia and Ivette Xochiyotl Boyzo, on the the ongoing issue of police brutality through the Raza Database Project, with police violence against Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples in the U.S. Dr. Cintli's work inspired the focus of this year's LEAD XII Summit at Cal State San Bernardino that recently took place on September 29, 2023. Congratulations to Dr. Enrique Murillo, Patricia Aguilera, and all the amazing members of his team for organizing a highly-successful, well-attended conference.

La Raza Database Project research manager and community activist, Ivette Xochiyotl Boyzo, pointed to how "when someone gets killed," the impacts of violence on families and communities are cumulative:

“Let me tell you, this is why impacted families must always be at the forefront and center of these conversations. Because when I see them, I see my brother, I see my mom, I see my son.”

It really is astounding to consider how 35,000 people have been killed by law enforcement in the U.S. since the year 2000. This 35K figure is double the amount reported. This careful, ongoing study that considers alternative sources of data—including independent journalists' archives—the number of Brown and Black people killed by police may be more than double the amount reported. Read the executive summary and published report here.

I encourage you to read the report and check out their methodology. Key findings:

• The number of Raza killed by or who died in police custody increased by over 30 percent from 4,483 to nearly 6,460 
• The number of Asian and Pacific Islanders increased 75 percent from 497 to 2,010. 
• The number of Blacks increased 7.1 percent or nearly 600. 
• The Native American count grew by 11 percent from 332 to 373. 
• The remaining 4,749 were assigned white, increasing from 11,317 to a total of 16,066 or nearly 30 percent. 
• These numbers are still flawed and likely undercounted given that a significant amount of people have non-ethnic surnames for various reasons, like intermarriage. 
• There is not enough awareness or transparency about the amount of people killed by or while in custody of police

With respect to additional racial analyses the team conducted, they found the following: 

• African Americans, who constitute 12.1% amount of the population, constitute 24.2% (8,021) of the killings/deaths at the hands of law enforcement, nearly one-quarter of all reported deaths 
• “Latinos” Raza peoples, who constitute 18.7% of the population, constitute 19.5% (6,460) of the killings/deaths. 
• Native peoples, who constitute .7% amount of the population, constitute 1.1% (373) of the killings/deaths 
• Asian-Pacific Islander peoples, who constitute 6.1% amount of the population, constitute 6.1% (2010) of the killings/deaths. 
• White peoples, who constitute 57.8% of the population, constitute 48% (16,066) of the killings/deaths, 10% lower than the rate of that population. 
• There is no data for Arab Americans or Middle Easterners who often are listed as White or other.

Both Dr. Jesús Garcia and Ivette Xochiyotl Boyzo appeared on October 3, 2023 in a segment on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman titled, Police Killings of Black & Brown People May Be Double Previous Estimates: La Raza Database Project. 

UFW Legendary activist, Dolores Huerta, LEAD Summit XIl, herself a victim of police violence, delivered the morning keynote address. The panel that I moderated consisted of National LULAC President Domingo Garcia, Drs. Emilio Zamora, Dean Manuel Zamarripa and local healer and educator Jessica Tazoltiani Zamarripa. Our focus was on the recent mass shootings in Uvalde and El Paso. 

You can view the entire Summit on the LEAD CSUB 2023 Youtube Channel. Our panel begins at 3:58:50 on the meter. For ease, here are helpful links:

Final Raza Database Report:

Executive Summary, Analysis, Data Tables, AND Narrative Testimonials and Essays

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14d6bfyBywDRPREqiokCxfa3sHKo3u1Nz/view

GIS Interactive Story Map:

Geography of Deaths Pursued or in Police Custody 2000-2020

https://arcg.is/1bXf810

Music, Poetry, Spoken Word, and Testimonials:

"We Were All Mistaken" Album by Various Artists

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lja0hiAQEpO1yXRDck9y0XI69ySU8cxpo

The whole conference was bold, courageous, and extraordinary. The video extends beyond the summit with capsules on important work being done in California to target state violence. This gathering that remembered and honored the lives of loved ones lost to police violence was all so poignant and moving. 

What was also impressive about the LEAD Summit was the attendance by the university's president and staff, both at the Thursday evening dinner and the daylong Friday event itself that was otherwise attended by 1200 people, not including the hundreds that viewed it online. Dr. Emilio Zamora and I are deeply honored to have been part of this year's summit.

-Angela Valenzuela

GIS Interactive Story Map: Geography of Deaths Pursued or in Police Custody 2000-2020

https://arcg.is/1bXf810

Our panel features myself (Angela Valenzuela), Drs. Emilio Zamora, Dr. Manuel Zamarripa, local healer and educator Jessica Tazoltiani Zamarripa, and National LULAC President Domingo Garcia. Our panel begins at 3:58:50 on the LEAD CSUB 2023 Youtube Channel meter.