Are police obsolete in Minneapolis? Racial capitalism and police abolition

Jack Post Gramlich

Social Science Quarterly, 2021, vol. 102, issue 7, 3149-3157

Abstract: Objective This article seeks to illustrate the theoretical foundations of the contemporary abolitionist movement. It aims to equip scholars and practitioners with an understanding of conceptual linkages between the beliefs, goals, and practices of abolitionists. Methods This is a case study of organizing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It draws from policing data, local news, and statements by community organizers and political leaders. Results Minneapolis police transfer power away from Black communities as part of a racial capitalist system. The racial contract, which facilitates political acceptance of police behavior, is a pillar of this system. Police abolition responds to racial capitalism. Based in the city's black community, Minneapolis abolitionists aspire to build new social structures to support public health and eventually render policing obsolete. Conclusion Racial capitalism is an indispensable component of the system of policing in Minneapolis, and the local abolitionist movement represents a political alternative in which state programs prevent harm.

Date: 2021
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