Opinion: Three Black leaders offer one practical solution to reduce police assaults on Black motorists

Patrick Gaspard partners with Color of Change's Rashad Robinson and the Vera Institute of Justice's Nicholas Turner to discuss the dangers of traffic stops for Black motorists and to urge leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to seek solutions.

Advancing Racial Equity and Justice, Criminal Justice Reform, Policing, Race and Criminal Justice, Racial Equity and Community-Informed Policies +2 More

Media Contact

Julia Cusick

Vice President, Communications

[email protected]

Government Affairs

Peter Gordon

Director, Federal Affairs

[email protected]

Jerry Parshall

Senior Director, Safety and Justice Campaign; Director, State and Local Government Affairs

[email protected]

The Department of Justice announced last week that it will review the use of force by the Memphis Police Department. It also plans to examine the operations of specialized police units such as the one responsible for killing Tyre Nichols.

The decision by federal authorities to launch a probe into the events that led to Nichols’ killing is welcome news. We can’t afford to wait for the investigation’s results, however, to fix a problem that endangers Black lives every day: needless traffic stops.

The Killing of Tyre Nichols Must Serve as a Catalyst to Root Out Racial Injustice in Policing

A makeshift memorial near the location where Tyre Nichols was beaten by Memphis police officers on January 28, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee.

ArticleFeb 10, 2023

The Killing of Tyre Nichols Must Serve as a Catalyst to Root Out Racial Injustice in Policing

Feb 10, 2023

Rachael Eisenberg, Brandon Tucker, Hadi Sedigh

The above excerpt was originally published in CNN. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.