As the Bay Area marks the two-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death, demands for police accountability continue in the aftermath of major scandals that rocked the Oakland and San Francisco police departments.
When the East Bay Express invited Bay Area residents to submit personal reflections on racial injustice, dozens wrote in. Among them was writer LeRon Barton, who's struggled with staying true to himself as a black man.
LERON BARTON: If I come in contact with a police officer, it's a flip of a coin. You know, heads I live, tails I don't. And hopefully it comes up heads.
To hear Barton's story, please click on the audio player above.
This series is a partnership between KALW and the East Bay Express, where the essays reflecting on racial injustice in America originally appeared.
We also recommend the August 8th edition of Your Call with Rose Aguilar. Mychal Denzel Smith discusses his new book Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching: A Young Black Man’s Education.