Marissa’s article highlights the complex relationship between black women and New York City police in the years between the founding of the municipal force in 1845 and the officer-driven race riot that punctuated the turn of the twentieth century. It considers how shifts in police power, departmental structure, and jurisdiction altered the lives of women of color at a time when the city itself was undergoing tremendous change. In particular, this article examines the diverse ways women resisted the incursions of law enforcement by engaging in strategies of denial, registration, and direct protest. By doing so, this article hopes to not only shed light on the period in question, but also to deepen our understanding of the Progressive-Era brand of policing that, for many New Yorkers, resulted in a ”condemnation of blackness,” itself.

—   Please note that there is a pre-circulated paper that will be sent out a week before this event.  Please contact Rebeca Martinez at rmartnz165@g.ucla.edu for further information on the zoom link and paper.   —