28/05/2020
Hours - maybe even minutes - before the news broke in Minneapolis surrounding the tragic, senseless death of George Floyd, I had the privilege of interviewing Dallas Police Department Chief Reneé Hall for our "I Do This Because" series here in Dallas. After reading more about Mr. Floyd and watching the heartbreaking video, I initially believed today was not the appropriate time to share this interview. The emotions are raw for many. We are processing yet another despicable incident of racism, violence, and pure injustice that involves law enforcement.
But when I went back and listened to the interview with Chief Hall, I realized her voice, her story, her perspective, and her philosophy are more important now than they ever have been. Although we did not specifically discuss Mr. Floyd, Chief Hall spoke about bringing truth and honesty to the profession. She talked about serving communities who often cannot protect themselves. She talked about the importance of a police force that mirrors our community, about the role of implicit bias, and specific incidents where she personally explained to arrestees that she did not mean to, and would not, disrespect them. Above all, she highlighted the absolute necessity that police officers uphold the dignity of every person with whom they interact.
The ability to highlight public servants like Chief Hall--especially in the midst of pain, violence, and conflict--is precisely the reason we wanted to start this interview series. I hope and pray her perspectives provide the balm, guidance, and hope that our community and our country desperately need right now.
