Name: Harrison

Social Justice Group: Race & Policing

Date of Fieldwork: January 8, 2019

Name of Organization: Vera Institute of Justice

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Mawia Khogali

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

We went to the Vera Institute of Justice building where Mawia Khogali works as a research associate in Vera’s policing program. We interviewed her about how the Vera Institute works to make sure the justice system actually gives justice. We also asked her questions about what it’s like to be a Black woman in America.

What I learned:

We learned that there is a bias hierarchy in the police system. If a police officer supports a marginalized group it is harder to get a promotion. Also, she taught us that you are more likely to be killed by a police officer if you have a mental illness or you are deaf. This is because when police see someone signing or gesturing, they may think they are making fun of them or threatening them.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

I learned that it’s difficult being a police officer because if you support marginalized groups it’s hard to get a promotion, but also if you are against marginalized groups or participate in broken windows theory you can be punished for being biased. This taught me that you have to be careful about what you do as a police officer because whatever you do can affect you.