A movement against police brutality and racial inequality

The W.E. Rising Project is a movement in Phoenix that stands against police brutality and racial inequality. Jacob Raiford, the Director of Communications for the W.E. Rising Project, was part of the protests last summer over the murder of George Floyd. He continues to fight for justice.

Raiford said his movement started at the beginning of June last year. They are taking the opportunity to educate protesters in their political involvement. He said they are coming together. They are meeting as a community to create “a more progressive Arizona.”

We talked about the Chauvin Trial verdict and what it might mean. He hopes this means a new era of change for policing. He said it took a lot of effort to convict one person. He said they can be relieved that someone was accountable, but there is so much more to do.

They are looking to be proactive, not reactive. He said black individuals are disproportionately targeted and murdered by the police. He said that they want to create an entirely different department to house different calls.

He said they are looking to create a new program that will serve as a buffer between the police culture and the community. He said when you look at it as a service to the community, it takes away the bad stigma around police demolishing. He explained they don’t seek to disrupt society, they are just looking to benefit it and create “beneficial programs for it.” After this week’s events, he said he is encouraged to keep moving forward.