“And we hate po po/Wanna kill us dead in the streets fo sho” – Kendrick Lamar, Alright

It is nearly impossible to turn on your TV, visit a news site, or open Twitter without encountering another story of police brutality and abuse of power. It seems like each week, we have a new name in a hashtag, memorializing the life of another man or woman lost to the boys in blue. This has inspired fear, anger, and for some of us, hate. Yes, we are growing to hate the police, and it is not without cause. The facts and figures point to a terrifying pattern of police violence against people of colour, especially Blacks. Each of those facts and figures represent real lives—real human beings who live in fear of becoming another victim, another number on a chart, another body on the ground.  Over the past month, I have interviewed five young people who shared their experiences with and feelings toward the police. They, like me, had a lot to say, and it is so important that we listen to the people who live this fear. Here is part one of my three part series on police brutality.