Reforms Don’t Work (with Dylan Rodríguez and Maya Pendleton)

Why keep advocating for solutions that don’t work? 

In this episode, we'll discuss reforms in the family policing system and how these reforms don't actually help to end the harms perpetuated against Black children, families, and communities. We'll also be discussing the differences between reformist reforms and abolitionist steps.

About Our Guests: 

Dylan Rodríguez is a teacher, scholar, organizer and collaborator who has maintained a day job as a Professor at the University of California-Riverside since 2001. Since the late-1990s, Dylan has participated as a founding member of organizations like Critical Resistance and Abolition Collective. He is the author of three books, most recently White Reconstruction: Domestic Warfare and the Logic of Racial Genocide. 

Maya Pendleton has been a part of the upEND movement since its inception. She currently works as a researcher and writer for the upEND movement, focusing on how we abolish the family policing system, the harms of the current system to children, families and communities, and the world we will build post family policing. 

Episode Notes:

• Episode Transcript: upendmovement.org/episode1-6
• Episode Transcript: upendmovement.org/episode1-6
• Support the work of upEND: upendmovement.org/donate 
• Continue learning with additional resources in our syllabus: upendmovement.org/syllabus
• Explore the resource “Evaluating Reformist Reforms vs. Abolitionist Steps to End the Family Policing System” which was created and co-written by Maya. 
• Dylan cites Michael Oher’s conservatorship and exploitation by the Tuohy family. 
• Dylan mentions that the U.S. Military’s “Tactics in Counterinsurgency” publication. 
• Follow Dylan on Twitter and Instagram. 
• Follow Maya on Twitter and Instagram.