How The Legacy Of Slavery Informs Law Enforcement

By Jenny Friedland
Slave collar with bells; between 1800 and 1865; iron and brass. As Amanda Friedeman of the Illinois Holocaust Museum explains in the interview, the collar is part of the museum’s “Purchased Lives” exhibit.
Slave collar with bells; between 1800 and 1865; iron and brass. As Amanda Friedeman of the Illinois Holocaust Museum explains in the interview, the collar is part of the museum's "Purchased Lives" exhibit. Courtesy of the Holden Family Collection
Slave collar with bells; between 1800 and 1865; iron and brass. As Amanda Friedeman of the Illinois Holocaust Museum explains in the interview, the collar is part of the museum’s “Purchased Lives” exhibit.
Slave collar with bells; between 1800 and 1865; iron and brass. As Amanda Friedeman of the Illinois Holocaust Museum explains in the interview, the collar is part of the museum's "Purchased Lives" exhibit. Courtesy of the Holden Family Collection

How The Legacy Of Slavery Informs Law Enforcement

By Jenny Friedland
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The Illinois Holocaust Museum’s “Purchased Lives” exhibit explores the history of slavery in American life. At a museum discussion this Thursday titled “The Lingering Impact of the American Slave Trade,” panelists will discuss how history informs politics and clture today. In advance of that event, we are joined by panelists Betsy Leonard, vice president of engagement for Heartland Alliance; Quintin Williams, field building project manager for Heartland Alliance; and Amanda Friedeman, assistant director of education at the Illinois Holocaust museum. Together, they unpack how the legacy of slavery informs contemporary American law enforcement and our criminal justice systems, including issues of mass incarceration, community disinvestment, poverty and trauma.

This segment is part of an ongoing collaboration between Worldview and the Illinois Holocaust Museum, as Worldview celebrates 25 years and the museum celebrates 10.