It was an innocent question that struck a nerve. Until recent events, we had referred to the police as “community helpers” in our home.
My four-year-old son, who shares my white heritage, posed this question following the tragic events of Memorial Day. Just a short bike ride from where he would soon start kindergarten, a police officer pressed his knee into the neck of a man named Marcus Lee for an agonizingly long time, leading to Mr. Lee’s death.
In the aftermath of that incident, I have reflected deeply on what to communicate to my children about the anger surrounding these events. I have discussed the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the reasons behind the protests. Yet, my son’s question lingers with me. It compels me to confront a troubling reality: Aren’t police supposed to protect us?