According to our newly published article, Black Lives Matter protests in cities with Black female police chiefs experienced significantly lower levels of violence – from each police and protesters – than cities with police chiefs of other races and genders.
After Death of George Floyd by the hands of Minneapolis police On May 25, 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement experienced a surge. The social justice movement gained momentum over 11,000 protest events in hundreds of cities in all 50 states. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but others weren’t, and the town's police chiefs were tasked with cracking down on street violence. In some communities, they engaged in dialogue with protesters; in other, They responded with violence.
Our research included evaluation of 11,540 protests that occurred between May 25 and August 29, 2020 in 3,338 cities, 1,481 counties, and all 50 states. To ensure robustness and eliminate bias, we measured violence based on independent violence categorization, descriptions of protest events, variety of arrests, and severity of charges. We also examined the gender and racial background of the local police chief.
This is the results of our evaluation published within the Journal of Management Protests in cities with police departments led by Black women tends to be relatively peaceful.
Consider, for instance, Black Chief Catrina Thompson in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who preferred dialogue to violence. She Solidarity conveyed with the Black Lives Matter cause and reiterated that peaceful protests could spur change without destroying the town.
In contrast, at a protest in Lincoln, Nebraska, in late May 2020, there was a bunch of demonstrators Break shop windows and threaten law enforcement officialswhich resulted in law enforcement officials — in a department led by white male Chief Jeff Bliemeister — firing pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets.
This and other research has found that through their personal and skilled experiences as they advance in traditionally male, white professions, Black women are inclined to develop a robust understanding of racial dynamics and use their knowledge to develop flexible strategies.
Of course, not all Black women lead in the identical way, but they have an inclination to have similar experiences that might help achieve peaceful outcomes during times of social unrest.
Why it matters
Against the backdrop of widespread protests and demands for social justice Public safety depends upon peaceful interactions between police and demonstrators.
The study highlights the importance of diverse leadership voices and the importance of recognizing and strengthening individual identities. Despite a rise within the appointment of black police chiefs over the past decade, Black women proceed to be underrepresented in leadership positions in law enforcement. This research highlights the worth to society of incorporating diverse perspectives and leadership approaches based on the intersections of individuals's identities.
What is just not yet known
Despite these findings, some questions remain unanswered. We don’t yet know the precise ways during which the leadership of Black female police chiefs results in lower levels of violence. We suspect that the mechanism is a posh results of their communication strategies, community engagement practices and decision-making processes – but we have no idea which one has the best influence.
Our study also raises the query of how these insights about black women in a time of black protest could be applied to other civic leaders' handling of demonstrations of various kinds of social movements.
What's next
The study paves the best way for deeper research into how intersecting identities – corresponding to gender and race – impact leadership approaches and outcomes across various professions, not only law enforcement.
Ongoing research efforts – our own and people of others – aim to higher understand how people's identities influence their leadership styles and the way they take care of conflict. Future studies are also needed to look at how organizations and communities can higher support Black women and advance them into leadership positions to be sure that their perspectives and skills profit society as a complete.
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