With their permission, this guide has been adapted from the University of Arizona Libraries, Wellesley College Libraries, and Madison College Libraries. Thanks to the University of San Francisco Library for links to many Bay Area resources.
This guide is meant as a jumping-off point for students and instructors to explore the issues surrounding the unrest and protests spurred by the deaths of Mike Brown, Eric Garner, and the deaths of countless others. It also includes resources that Berkeley City College instructors may find helpful in order to teach related topics in their courses.
We will try to keep this guide as up-to-date as we can and welcome additions to this research guide. Please email your librarian or ask@berkeleycitycollege.libanswers.com.
Read the statement from Information Studies academics and professionals on documentary evidence and social justice.
Image via blacklivesmatter.com
On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown, a black, unarmed man, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, MO. There were conflicting viewpoints regarding the events leading up to Brown's killing on whether he was surrendering or approaching Wilson. On November 24, 2014, a grand jury did not indict Wilson. Both Mike Brown's death and the grand jury's decision led to protests across the country touching on racial tensions and police brutality. Police in Ferguson reacted with a militarized response, both immediately following the event and again after non-indictment, exacerbating the unrest. Darren Wilson later resigned from the police force. In March 2015, a Department of Justice report found that the Ferguson police had a history of routinely violating the civil rights of black citizens. The Ferguson city manager resigned after the publication of the report.
On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, a black, unarmed man, was fatally restrained with an apparent chokehold by Daniel Pantaleo, a white police officer, in Staten Island, NY. The event was recorded by a bystander. The city medical examiners office ruled Garner's death a homocide. On December 4, 2014, a grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo in the death, setting off additional protests in New York City and across the United States.
In the months that followed, protests continued, and since that time, greater discussion has been happening around the country regarding structural racism and violence toward black people by white police.
