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OPINION
Barack Obama

Policing the USA: A look at race, justice and media

Eileen Rivers
USA TODAY Opinion
Isaiah Simpson, center, links arms with other demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter rally in Memphis.

The shooting of Michael Brown and the Ferguson, Mo., riots touched off a national debate about policing in America that continues to rage more than a year later. Among the key questions: Are police too quick to use lethal force, particularly against African Americans? Is the #blacklivesmatter movement serving a useful purpose, or is it setting off a dangerous backlash? Have the news media exposed abuses, or are they part of the problem? Have President Obama’s series of speeches about justice and race relations really helped to bring the country together?

USA TODAY Opinion is hosting an ongoing dialogue about what's happening across the nation. Tell us about your community in photos, videos and words. Are there examples of what's working that you can share? What do you think of the #blacklivesmatter movement? Are police being portrayed fairly? We'll also share perspectives on media coverage of race and police using multiple platforms, including graphics on national police data, a video and a podcast, and editorials and columns.

We'll bring all of this together on our Policing the USA site, which launched Sept. 24. We would like to include your comments. You can:

  • Send a letter using letters@usatoday.com.
  • Leave a voice message by calling 540-739-2928 (please include your name, phone number and email address in case we need to contact you). 
  • Use Your Take to share photos or videos showing us what's happening in your community between the police and the people they serve, or telling us your views about Obama's speeches. 
  • Leave your comments on Twitter using #policingtheusa or on Facebook.

Video Contest

College students, submit a video showing examples of what's going on at your campus and what's working to bring people together. What does #blacklivesmatter look like for you? Post your video on YouTube using #policingtheusa in the subject line along with your name and email address. We’ll select the top submissions to show on our project site, which launches Sept. 24. The submission period will end at noon ET on Oct. 8. Vote for your favorite by sharing it on social media. Voting will remain open through noon ET on Oct 22. The videos with the most Facebook and Twitter shares will win first, second and third places respectively. The winners’ names will be published in print.

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