Today on Colorado Edition: we’ll hear from two activists at the forefront of the protests against police brutality. Plus, a look at what the call to get police out of schools means. And, we’ll visit a local COVID-19 testing site, and hear from an expert on anti-oppression.
Leading The Movement
For nearly two weeks, protesters have marched through the streets of Denver. They are demanding justice and police accountability in the wake of George Floyd’s death. At the forefront of this movement are activists. Some are seasoned. Some are new. But all are fighting for change. KUNC’s Stephanie Daniel profiles two of them.
Police And Schools
At a Black Lives Matter march on Sunday, members of the Denver school board announced their support for a resolution that would remove police officers from public schools in the city by the end of the year.
This announcement came amid continued demonstrations against police brutality in Denver, and in other Colorado communities like Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
On the show yesterday, we spoke with Denver school board director Tay Anderson about the resolution. Today, we speak with Melanie Asmar, a reporter with Chalkbeat Colorado who has been following this story.
COVID-19 Testing
Front Range health officials are encouraging those participating in protests against police brutality to get tested for COVID-19 – even if they aren’t showing any symptoms. Drive-through testing sites have opened in many Northern Colorado communities.
KUNC’s Matt Bloom visited the Pepsi Center, where he sat down with two of the people running the site, Murphy Robinson, director of Denver’s Department of Public Safety, and Greggory LaBerge, director of forensics and evidence division of the Denver Police Department. They explained the significance of testing sites like the one at the Pepsi Center.
Learning About Anti-Oppression
In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, whom police killed in Minneapolis at the end of May, protests against police brutality and systemic racism have taken place around the world.
And with these issues now in the spotlight, many people are having conversations about topics that are difficult to discuss. Topics like racism and police violence.
Regan Byrd, an anti-oppression consultant based here in Colorado, where she founded her own firm, Regan Byrd Consulting, joined us to talk about discussing difficult topics like these.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Matt Bloom (@matthew_bloom) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with a rebroadcast of the previous evening's show Tuesday through Friday at 8:30 a.m.