We are in a highly polarized time. We have a President who has cultivated an unprecedented level of divisiveness in recent memory. It took an uproar for him to finally denounce white supremacy.

Making our mission tougher, he has latched on to police officers and has painted nearly anyone that supports any measure of reform as anti-police. This deepens the divide between the police departments and the communities they serve.

But we must not replicate these tactics. Despite having valid reasons, we can’t fall into cynicism. We also must acknowledge the nuances of police officers, Republicans, and Trump supporters for two reasons: (1) We can’t communicate effectively when we generalize, and (2) our mission will seem insurmountable if we categorize everybody that’s not liberal as racist.

It’s going to be a slow journey, but we must not be dismayed. Our messaging, as well as our every move, must be calculated and concise. We must strive to be effective in our quest to improve our communities, with or without help from Washington, D.C.

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Zachery Lathen-Williams is the author of ‘August: A Love Letter’, and host of the ‘One Corner At A Time’ podcast.

Zachery Lathen-Williams

Writing since February 2022 · 1 story contributed