We need space to question our language, to disrupt these systems, and most importantly, to uproot what makes us unable to work toward justice.
This was the motivation behind my recent research into how top transportation organizations tend to frame conversations about safety, equity, and policing — and how that language is evolving. In my paper — which is built upon the concept of Arrested Mobility coined by Charles T. Brown — I closely analyzed 44 articles and communications published by ten active transportation thought-leaders, before and after George Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020.