The widely viewed killing of George Floyd—an unarmed Black man, by a white police officer—sparked a global uprising against police brutality. Americans overwhelmingly support the nationwide protests since Mr. Floyd’s death and say police forces have not done enough to ensure that African-Americans and Latinos are treated equally to whites. All across the country, from small towns to large cities, police departments and policing practices are being scrutinized. According to a Washington Post-Schar poll from June 27, 69% of Americans believe Mr. Floyd’s killing represents an overall problem within law enforcement.  

Join Illinois Newsroom for "What Should Be the Role of Police in Champaign-Urbana?" a Facebook Live event on Thursday, July 23 at 8 pm. WILL News Director Reginald Hardwick will moderate a discussion with a panel of government, civic, and law enforcement leaders, which will include some questions and comments from the audience. Learn more about the participants of this moderated discussion below.

Panelists

Anthony Cobb, Chief of Police, Champaign

• Read Chief Cobb's biography

Naomi Paik, Associate Professor, Asian American Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Worlds Without Police
• Why the Calls for Defunding the Police?
• UIUC Divestment From Local Police Statement

Diane Marlin, Mayor of Urbana

• Read Mayor Marlin's biography

Tariq Khan, PhD Candidate in History, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• GEO Calls for IFT, AFT, and AFL-CIO to Expel Police Unions
• Orlando Shooter Was A Product of US Hyper-Masculinity

Deb Feinen, Mayor of Champaign

• Read Mayor Feinen's biography

Dustin Heuerman, Champaign County Sheriff

• Getting Personal: Dustin Heuermann
• Sheriff candidate interview: Dustin Heuerman

Titianna Ammons, Activist

• Champaign County Board Candidate
• Ending Racism: White Fragility In the Media

Evelyn Reynolds, Associate Professor, Sociology, Parkland Community College

• The Ongoing Saga of Driving While Black
• In America, Aging While Black Takes Solidarity, Activism, and Magic

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Find more information about the event on Illinois Newsroom’s Facebook page. Illinois Newsroom is powered by Illinois Public Media/WILL and provides news about Illinois as well as in-depth reporting on agriculture, education, the environment, health and politics.