Santa Cruz PD holds event for African-American Voices

As racial tensions continue to build in many communities, especially between police and minority groups, the Santa Cruz Police Department wanted to make sure their community knows they’re listening.

Between today’s political atmosphere, protests, and stories of African Americans being killed by police, there’s quite a bit of racial friction. That’s why the Santa Cruz Police Department wanted to reach
out.

Today the department held an event called “Black Lives in Santa Cruz: What Matters.” It’s a series of pictures and stories from African American Santa Cruz residents in their own words. They talk about what it’s like to live in Santa Cruz as a black person and how that might differ from other races. Police Chief Andrew Mills is the one who organized today’s event.

“It sends a message to the police department, which is important, about implicit bias and prejudice that sometimes we don’t even know. It also sends a message to the community. We support our communities of color here in Santa Cruz and so that was an important message that I feel we need to get across,” said Santa Cruz Police Chief Andrew Mills.

Allison Garcia is the photographer and creator of “Black Lives in Santa Cruz: What Matters.” She said she was inspired to start this project when the black lives matter movement began a few years ago.

“We all have the same values of health, and family, and hope, and love, and I think getting to know each other is a key part of that because racial issues do divide us,” said Photographer and the event’s creator Allison Garcia.

Both Garcia and Chief Mills wanted this event to happen to show the community that no matter what someone looks like, they are human. Get to know someone before judging them by their skin color.

Garcia has all of of the photography and writings on her website if anyone wants to see all the work that was showed today. You can find that here:

http://www.allisongarciaphotography.com/