Vox Populi

A curated webspace for Poetry, Politics, and Nature. Over 16,000 daily subscribers. Over 7,000 archived posts.

Amanda Alexander, Deanna Van Buren: The Care(ful) Work of Abolishing Prisons

How to kick our national addiction to prisons

April 18, 2023 · 8 Comments

Abby Zimet: Acts That Defy Humanity

The arrests offer little solace to friends and family grieving for a kind, joyful, “good human,” “quirky and true to himself,” “good spirit and soul” who attended church youth group and worked to be a good dad.

February 2, 2023 · 6 Comments

Rashad Shabazz: Black police officers aren’t colorblind – they’re infected by the same anti-Black bias as American society and police in general

Policing in the U.S. has, from its inception, treated Black people as domestic enemies.

February 1, 2023 · 5 Comments

Zane McNeill: Movement to stop Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ calls for support after police kill forest defender

Atlanta activists are calling for an independent investigation and solidarity, after police killed an Indigenous land defender in a heavily-armed raid.

January 23, 2023 · 3 Comments

George Yancy: Let’s Honor Kevin Johnson by Dismantling the Systems That Failed Him

Last week, on November 29, the State of Missouri killed Kevin Johnson.

December 5, 2022 · 5 Comments

Susan Kelly-DeWitt: Photograph of Your Father Sewing Needlepoint At Precinct Headquarters, 1956

tugging the yarn taut, as though it was
the most natural thing
in the world for a burly
detective, a tough Irish cop

October 26, 2022 · 8 Comments

Abby Zimet: Watering While Black

Having grown up (black) in the American South, the good Rev. Michael Jennings, 56, both was and wasn’t surprised last May 22 by the “surreal” arrival of (white) cops in his small Alabama town to confront his nefarious crime of watering a neighbor’s flowers like the good Christian he is.

September 8, 2022 · 6 Comments

Patricia Jabbeh Wesley: A Dirge for Our Murdered Sons

Oh, America, how many tears do you want
before you stop killing our sons?

January 24, 2022 · 1 Comment

Jefferson Carter: Life Partner

For convenience, I & my life partner
(the woman formerly known as my wife)
have numbered our arguments. 

January 11, 2022 · 2 Comments

Thaddeus L. Johnson, Natasha N. Johnson: American cities have long struggled to reform their police – but isolated success stories suggest community and officer buy-in might be key

Getting police and community on board with reforms is crucial for success.

May 5, 2021 · Leave a comment

Peter Makuck: Recycled (corrected version)

His girlfriend sat in the car. The other cop was at the passenger door, probably shouting for her to exit the vehicle with your hands above your head where I can see them. I watch too many “Law and Order” reruns.

March 19, 2021 · Leave a comment

Richard Levine: One Night in America

The first time I noticed my hands
trembling, I was still a young man,
just returned from a war…

January 19, 2021 · 2 Comments

Video: Standby

Gary and Jenny share the same cramped “office space” as all beat cops: the front seat of a patrol car. Their evolving relationship is an emotional rollercoaster ride that stands in often-comedic contrast to the procession of thugs and criminals filling the back seat.

June 26, 2020 · 2 Comments

Frank Edwards & Michael H. Esposito: Police kill about 3 men per day in the US

Police in the U.S. kill on average more than 1,000 men per year, or about three men per day. According to our estimates, police are responsible for about 8 percent … Continue reading

August 13, 2018 · Leave a comment

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