Minka Kelly Instagram – I didn’t understand what it meant to defund the police so in the slim chance any of you who follow me might still be unsure, here’s what I’ve learned… 1st we should note that the title itself is an agitating title. Agitate : to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of : disturb. Only until we’re uncomfortable are we be able to see & acknowledge that change is necessary. Reform is not enough. This is a radical idea to white folks, not so much for the black community. It means there needs to be something else that changes this ongoing racial terror by police. And not so much when you know we’ve been defunding education for years… We can re-think the police. Re-think how we protect people and keep people safe. I don’t believe we need armed police to help us solve all our problems. I think we put too much on our police. The people who respond to crises should be the people who are best equipped to deal with those crises. You shouldn’t be arrested for being homeless. For having a mental health breakdown. For being naughty in school. We can create space for more mental health service providers, social workers, victim/survivor advocates – as opposed to strangers armed with guns. In many countries police would be the last resort when people are going through a mental health crisis but in the US, they are often the first to respond because of a lack of more specialized agencies. To truly fight crime, I don’t believe we need more police. We need more jobs, more educational opportunities, more arts programs, mental health centers, community centers and the like. This work is not about defunding every department instantly. It’s about gradual process of strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community based models for safety. Police will still be there enforcing the law, but maybe with some other tools for deescalation than weapons. Imagine feeling the need to declare that your life – just – matters. When you look at the history and the very foundation of our country, black lives not only matter, black lives are critical and essential. #DefendBlackLives #DefundThePolice