Today on Hard Knock Radio, guest host Thandisizwe Chimurenga leads a critical conversation marking 17 years since the police killing of Oscar Grant III on the Fruitvale BART platform.
Oscar Grant’s murder became a catalyst for a generation of organizers, journalists, artists, and community members—igniting national conversations about police violence and accountability years before hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter entered the mainstream. Seventeen years later, we reflect on what has changed—and what has remained stubbornly the same—when it comes to policing, justice, and state violence in the United States.
In this conversation, Thandisizwe speaks with Cat Brooks, a community organizer and the founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) to examine the legacy of Oscar Grant’s killing and the ongoing struggle for justice.
Together, they ask urgent questions:
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Where are we now in the fight against police brutality?
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What forms of accountability exist—and where do they fall short?
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Have reforms meaningfully reduced harm, or merely rebranded policing?
The discussion explores the evolution of police reform efforts, landmark cases, and new laws, alongside the growing tension between reformist strategies and abolitionist frameworks. It also interrogates how surveillance, police union power, qualified immunity, and political backlash continue to shield law enforcement from meaningful consequences—while families and communities continue to grieve, organize, and resist.
Seventeen years after Oscar Grant’s death, the demand for accountability remains unresolved—and the questions raised by his killing are as urgent as ever.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.