Trauma and Communication: Police Brutality in the Black Community | Deion Hawkins by Campus On The Common

As America seethes with unrest following the police killing of yet another unarmed black man, we replay this conversation with Deion Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies.

In this episode, first aired June 6, 2019, Hawkins shares his well-researched insights on:
• The history of policing in the U.S.
• Three (of many) reasons why Black males are disproportionately targeted by police officers
• The impact of racism on health
• The continuance of police brutality despite increased awareness of it outside the Black community
• What those outside the Black community can do to help.

ABOUT OUR GUEST...
Deion Hawkins has been involved in competitive speech and debate since he was thirteen years old. In a mere six years of coaching, he has coached several national finalists, including champions in duo interpretation and IPDA debate. In addition to debate, Deion is a health communication scholar whose research utilizes intercultural theory to mitigate health disparities. Deion has studied a myriad of topics including police violence as a health issue and HIV in the Black MSM community; he is an avid social justice advocate for marginalized communities.

In addition to his work in academia, Dr. Hawkins has worked as a health communication consultant for various social marketing campaigns, combatting issues like human trafficking, advanced care directives, youth homelessness and PrEP awareness.