Fé Lopez, executive director of Seattle’s Community Police Commission (CPC), will discuss “The Power is in the People: The Importance of the Community’s Voice in Police Reform” at a free, public lecture at 3 p.m. Mon., April 4, in CUE 202 at Washington State University.
A WSU alumna, Lopez returns to Pullman as the guest of the Pre-Law Resource Center and the Common Reading Program. She plans to explain how the City of Seattle is addressing concerns of racial bias and excessive use of force by inviting key input from its citizens. And how Seattle’s experience can inform the national conversation about social justice, violence, and policing.
The Community Police Commission was formed in response to citizens. The 2010 shooting death by Seattle police of First Nations woodcarver John T. Williams, plus a series of other serious incidents involving police and people of color, ignited public concern about bias and the use of excessive force by police. Lopez has led the commission since her appointment by former Mayor Ed Murray in January 2014.
The Pre-Law Resource Center at WSU provides guidance and support to help students become exceptional law school candidates. Lopez’s presentation also touches on topics covered in this year’s common reading book for first-year students, “Just Mercy,” by Bryan Stevenson. The Common Reading Program and its many campus partners sponsor guest expert lectures related to the year’s book.
