Conversations on Race and Policing - California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB)

About Conversations on Race and Policing - California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB)

This series began in response to the police killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. In this work, we hope to explore, enlighten, and engage ourselves and the campus community with ongoing panel discussions, lectures, presentations, and film screenings related to the history and current context of race, policing, and criminal justice. We invite leading scholars, journalists, lawyers, healthcare professionals, current and veteran members of law enforcement, faith-based leaders, the formerly incarcerated, artists, activists, students, and more to share their experience, expertise, and passion with our university community and beyond. Our aim is to have an ongoing conversation about the way criminal justice operates – especially in communities of color – in order to empower and inform our students, faculty, staff, and residents of the Inland Empire. We have hosted over 110 weekly events to date. Please see our Lecture Series Archive (https://www.csusb.edu/corp/lecture-series-archive) for past events and recordings, and plan to join us online for Upcoming Events (https://www.csusb.edu/corp). Recordings of most events will be posted on their event pages after editing. We recognize that these are long and sometimes difficult conversations, as we continue the series into 2024-25, our fifth year.

Publisher

corpcsusb

Category

education · history · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Feb 2024

Latest episode

26 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

60 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Oct 2026

   In Conversation with Cat Brooks, performer, organizer, activist, and radio host of "Law & Disorder" (KPFA)

   Join us in conversation with Cat Brooks, performer, organizer, activist, and radio host of "Law & Disorder" (KPFA). From her website (link). "Cat Brooks is host of Law & Disorder on KPFA (link) and a long-time performer, organizer, and activist. She played a central role in the struggle for justice for Oscar Grant, and spent the last decade working with impacted communities and families to rapidly respond to police violence and radically transform the ways our communities are policed and incarcerated. She is the co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) and the Executive Director of The Justice Teams Network. Cat was also the runner-up in Oakland’s 2018 mayoral election, facing incumbent Libby Schaaf." Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous  and upcoming panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link). Thanks to Project Rebound for their support of this event!

2. 

   26 Oct 2026

   Healing After Gang Violence: In Conversation with Mia Arredondo and Edwin Cruz

   Healing After Gang Violence: In Conversation with Mia Arredondo and Edwin Cruz Mia Arredondo (pictured, on left) lost her older brother to gang violence when she was 12 years old. Edwin Cruz (pictured, on right) was sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) at 17 for a gang-related crime that resulted in someone's death, and served 17 years before being resentenced and released in 2024. Together they'll talk about the impact of gang violence, what accountability can look like, and how each of them arrived at their own understanding of justice. They're part of Survivor Action for Equity (SAFE), a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and who believe that a life without parole sentence handed down to someone barely out of their teens deserves a second look. Audience questions are welcome. Survivor Action For Equity (SAFE) is a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and who believe that a life without parole sentence handed down to someone barely out of their teens deserves a second look. Audience questions are welcome. SAFE welcomes new members who have lost loved ones to homicide. Learn more at SurvivorAction.org. If you're not a survivor but would like to support this work, reach out to learn how. Mia Arredondo is a survivor and community leader who has dedicated more than 25 years to serving the San Fernando Valley. At just 12 years old, Mia experienced the devastating loss of her older brother to gun violence, a tragedy that forever changed the course of her life. Rather than allowing that loss to define her, she transformed her grief into a lifelong commitment to preventing violence, supporting families, and creating opportunities for young people to thrive. As the Community Violence Intervention Program Manager at Champions in Service, she leads efforts across the San Fernando Valley to interrupt cycles of violence and support young people seeking a different path. Edwin Cruz is a dedicated professional whose life's work is focused on service, rehabilitation, and community advocacy. Sentenced to Life Without Parole at 17, he faced the prospect of dying in prison. Through the rehabilitation programs available to him, Edwin came to understand the impact of his crimes and the harm caused by the gang lifestyle, and developed remorse. He later benefited from a new law creating the possibility of parole for people who were children at the time of their crime and was released in 2024 after 17 years of incarceration. He has since channeled that experience into a powerful career, using his expertise in peer support and trauma-informed care to help justice and system-impacted individuals heal and reintegrate. Edwin holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Cal State LA; he is a Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist with a justice-involved focus, a Certified Anger Management Specialist, a Victim Offender Dialogue Facilitator, and a graduate of Loyola's Law School Independent Forensic Gang Expert College. Thanks to Pfau Library, Project Rebound, and the Information Technology Services team for making this event possible! Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link). Thanks to Project Rebound and the CSUSB Pfau Library for their support of this event! Thanks to Thinh Ly, Parker Brooks, and the Information Technology Services team!

3. 

   26 Oct 2026

   What Does True Justice Look Like? In Conversation with Gunner Johnson and Brett May

   What Does True Justice Look Like? In Conversation with Gunner Johnson and Brett May Gunner Johnson (pictured, on right) survived a home invasion robbery in which he was shot twice and a close friend was killed while sleeping in the next room. He later committed a crime himself, an action for which he takes full responsibility and understands to be connected to the injuries and trauma he experienced as a victim. Brett May (pictured, on left) was convicted of a crime that took someone’s life and served 24 years of a life without parole sentence. He also knows the pain of losing loved ones to homicide, having lost multiple childhood friends while growing up in the street life. For many years, Brett viewed those deaths as inevitable casualties of that world. It wasn’t until much later that he recognized himself as a survivor — someone carrying profound grief and trauma while also confronting the accountability and remorse for the harm he caused. That dual truth shapes how he understands justice today. Gunner and Brett speak from their experiences and describe what accountability asks of a person. They will speak about how each of them found their way toward healing and an understanding of justice. Survivor Action For Equity (SAFE) is a coalition of people who have lost loved ones to homicide and who believe that a life without parole sentence handed down to someone barely out of their teens deserves a second look. Audience questions are welcome. SAFE welcomes new members who have lost loved ones to homicide. Learn more at SurvivorAction.org. If you're not a survivor but would like to support this work, reach out to learn how. Gunner Johnson is a survivor, restorative justice practitioner, and higher education professional working to advance second chances for justice-impacted people. Having lived through both harm and incarceration himself, he has transformed that experience into a commitment to healing, accountability, and systems change, working alongside survivors, people who have caused harm, and formerly incarcerated individuals to show that accountability and redemption can coexist. Gunner is the director of the UC Davis Underground Scholars Program, where he supports formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students in accessing higher education, building community, and achieving academic success. He also advocates for policies that strengthen public safety by giving people meaningful pathways to accountability, education, and restoration. His work is grounded in the conviction that every person is more than the worst thing they have ever done, and that second chances build stronger individuals, families, and communities. Brett May is the Founder and Executive Director of the LWOP Foundation, shaped by his lived experience and 24 years served on a Life Without Parole sentence before earning a Commutation from Governor Gavin Newsom. He now works across universities, juvenile halls, and correctional facilities, providing trauma-informed guidance and expanding opportunities for justice-impacted people. Brett is completing his B.A. in Psychology at Cal State San Bernardino and brings firsthand insight into what real transformation requires. Thanks to Pfau Library, Project Rebound, and the Information Technology Services team for making this event possible! Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link). Thanks to Project Rebound and the CSUSB Pfau Library for their support of this event! Thanks to Thinh Ly, Parker Brooks, and the Information Technology Services team!

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Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

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Quality

46

Social presence

0

YouTube

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Engagement

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