At Local Progress, we know that everyone deserves to be safe on our roadways, walkways, and in transit–and to feel confident that they can make it to their destination free of harm, discrimination, and violence. From Minneapolis to Memphis, our members know all to well the human toll of racist traffic enforcement. For decades, policing of low-level violations has left hundreds dead and has done little to reduce traffic violence. But across the country, local leaders are stepping up to chart a new path for traffic safety and driving equity.
On October 17, Local Progress, in partnership with LSSC, hosted a webinar to launch the new white paper and dive deep into its policy implications.
Attendees heard from Councilmember Michalyn Easter-Thomas of Memphis, who shared the story of how state preemption was used to undermine a driving equality policy enacted in response to community outcry after the tragic murder of Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop by Memphis police. Michalyn’s powerful remarks underscored the importance of ensuring our roadways are free from discrimination and violence. White paper coauthors, Local Progress Legal Fellow Kat Kerwin and Yale Lecturer Jorge Camacho, also summarized the white paper and discussed strategies for overcoming the preemption-related challenges that often accompany efforts to promote driving equality.
