Police Brutality

Ife Williams is professor of political science and African American history at Delaware County Community College.

An overwhelming majority of books that tackle the issue of police brutality tend to apply a broad stroke to the issue by looking at national data and the impact generally across the US. Though such widespread examinations are important, the decision to dissect the festering issue of police brutality in the City of Brotherly Love is both timely and necessary. Williams does more than chronicle historical events, but instead masterfully unveils the building blocks of institutionalized racism in the city: the far reach of state-sanctioned violence; and, the failure of democratic institutions, all the way up to the Supreme Court. Ending with contemporary policy issues, the author easily widens the relevance of this book for activists, policymakers and everyday citizens. She provides expert insight into one of the most dreadful stains of America’s past and present, which prevents the society from reaching its full potential.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter One: The Philadelphia NegroChapter Two: Rizzo in The Hood: Struggle & More StrifeChapter Three: Battling BrutalityChapter Four: MOVEChapter Five: Policing the Philadelphia PoliceChapter Six: Mumia Abu-JamalChapter Seven: Policing Race & The Law: Redress & Reform? BibliographyAbout the Author