The Breaking Barriers series kicked off in Bloomington-Normal, IL in January, with the first of several forums to address problems of racism in the Twin Cities. The event was sponsored by Not In Our Town Bloomington-Normal group and the local NAACP, among others.
This first event brought out more than 100 people and included at least 50 questions posed to local law enforcement leaders. Specifically, the audience raised questions about the diversity among the four law enforcement agencies represented at the meeting. Minority representation in the local police departments is currently half or less than that of the local population.