Chicago — Virginia State University has established the nation’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities Center for Policing Leadership and Social Justice.
The idea came after VSU established the Policing Leadership Task Force composed of regional police chiefs and sheriffs, community leaders, and VSU faculty, staff and students.
The center aims to provide a space for collaborative research, training, policy and program development to address social, political, economic and cultural issues that have historically impacted relationships between communities of color and police. It will allow VSU and nearby communities to address a divide between law enforcement and communities of color, according to HBCU Buzz.
“For decades, we have seen our country crying out for change, but especially after the death of George Floyd in 2020. We knew it was our duty to try to ensure that something like that never happens again. The work to do that started with VSU Professor, Dr. Zoe Spencer, creating our history making Policing Task Force,” said President Makola M. Abdullah.
A conference is planned for October.