I’m pleased to announce that I have been asked by the Hip Hop Caucus to produce Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast.
Official Ignorance is the companion podcast to the book Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It (John’s Hopkins Press).
For decades, we’ve known that our criminal justice system hasn’t been fair or just for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. The U.S. Government has significantly undercounted the number of people who die in law enforcement custody each year. Deaths resulting from interactions with the U.S. criminal legal system are a public health emergency. Unjustly, the scope of this issue is intentionally ignored by the government that should be tracking these fatalities.
“Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast” – hosted by Dr. Roger Mitchell and Dr. Jay Aronson – shares the stories of individuals who died in custody and chronicles the efforts of activists and journalists to uncover the true scope of deaths in custody. Through their accounts and interactions with special guests, Mitchell and Aronson outline a practical, achievable system for accurately recording and investigating these deaths.
Guests include:
- Dr. Joye Carter – The first Black Chief Medical Examiner in the United States
- Journalists Brittany Hailer and Josh Vaughn
- Larry Hamm – People’s Organization for Progress
- and Mutulu Olugbala PKA M-1 of the Hip-Hop duo dead prez
Bonus: M-1 of Dead Prez, Fighting for Freedom and Cannabis Reform
Official Ignorance is a captivating podcast hosted by Dr. Roger Mitchell, Jr. and Professor Jay Aronson. In this episode, the two are joined by the legendary Mutulu Olugbala, also known as M-1 of the renowned hip-hop group dead prez. Mutulu is now a board member of The Last Prisoner project, which focuses on justice for incarcerated cannabis offenders.
The trio engages in thought-provoking discussions about various topics, including the impact of hip-hop on political activism, the importance of reimagining the school system and the criminal justice systems, and the fight for justice and liberation. With their fearless perspectives and genuine passion for creating change, this episode offers valuable insights and sparks critical conversations.
Link: Death in Custody book
Link: Official Ignorance podcast
Link: Hip Hop Caucus
