In November 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was tragically murdered by a Cleveland police officer. Still reeling from his death and the deep rifts it caused, the Cleveland Police Department sought ways to rebuild its relationship with the Cleveland community and to redefine community policing. In that context, Reflection Point brought officers of the Cleveland Police Department together with residents to promote mutual understanding, improve communications and open paths to generative dialogue.
In one of the sessions, the group read and discussed Man Booker Prize winner Chinua Achebe’s gripping story “Dead Men’s Path.” Published in 1953, the story follows Michael Obi, an eager young headmaster who is tasked with reforming a school in a Nigerian village. A village elder pleads with Obito to re-open an ancestral path through campus that Obi has closed, but he refuses. This leads the villagers to retaliate before Obi’s supervisor visits the school for an evaluation.
The story echoed the loggerheads police often find themselves in with some communities and a lively, frank discussion ensued on many important themes. The cultural tension between young and old and how to bridge the gap. The human tendency to single-mindedly pursue a vision without considering others. The role of compromise both in preserving tradition and progressing into the future. The power of ego in our decision-making. The importance of listening as an antidote to inflexibility.
The sessions allowed the officers and residents to engage outside their usual roles, creating a valuable opportunity to respectfully explore and share diverse viewpoints—and truly be heard.
“The way people participated in this event truly opened up dialogue and I believe we are better able, on a level playing field, to see one another as human beings,” said one participant.
Members of the group also left with a deeper understanding of each other. “These sessions provided the group the opportunity to discuss the challenges that exist between the community and the police without specifically isolating one group or the other,” commented one individual.
In the story they discussed, the rigid headmaster refuses to listen to why the path is spiritually and traditional significant. As a result, he ignites a terrible feud with the locals—one he pays dearly for.
This struck a chord with participants about the importance of listening to and learning from each other to head off unnecessary and potentially dangerous disputes.
“I wish all police departments and communities were having these discussions. . . there is a lot of fear and mistrust from the community, and it seems that the police sometimes operate under the emotion of fear as well. If bridges and trust were built, then we could collectively work together to meet our shared goal—living in a safe community.”
Listening to each other, participants found common ground and began to build bridges of understanding, keeping the metaphorical path open between the Cleveland Police and the people it serves.
“We all have something to learn from someone else. Whether we agree or disagree, at least we listen and are being heard.”
