Empire City - Real History and the Realities of Policing Today

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October 15, 2025
Five panelists seated before a brick wall, talking and laughing beneath framed artwork

The mainstream narratives tell us that police are here to protect us.

Five panelists seated before a brick wall, talking and laughing beneath framed artwork

However, as our communities have long known, police have often produced the opposite of safety. This divergence has long historical roots in the origins and political development of policing in the US. Our Advisory Board Member Chenjerai Kumanyika brought to Brooklyn a live edition of his award-winning podcast, Empire City: The Untold Story of the NYPD, cosponsored by The Action Lab, Crooked Ideas, and a range of other community partners. The conversation offered practical tools to help arm organizers in their efforts to mobilize communities against the current wave of federalized police forces invading cities, the rebranding of broken windows policing, and much more. Enjoy the photos below highlighting the lively events of the evening!

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