Black activists, sheriff partner to spur talks on race
EVERETT — A local group of Black activists has envisioned a first step to addressing the daunting racial inequities in the criminal justice system.
Their plan, in its infancy, has drawn intense criticism — not from local law enforcement officials, who have worked alongside the group to propel the effort forward, but instead from other protesters who are also seeking to reform American institutions plagued by deep-seated racism.
The initiative, coined “Cops and Barbers,” is meant to foster honest conversations about race and policing between Black residents and Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies — talks that could open the door to future reforms, the activists working on the proposal say. Known as America’s Promise Project, the group hopes to eventually host events at barber shops, which are often seen as Black community hubs.
“The idea here was simply to bring people of color and law enforcement together in a unanimously safe environment that would create conducive conversation between the two,” said Elton Davis, a 34-year-old Black barber who helped to devise the idea. “We’re so torn right now. No one talks to one another.”
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