Freedom Under Watch: Confronting Militarization in Our Communities

Join us for a timely and powerful discussion on the impact of militarization in our communities. From surveillance technologies to the expansion of policing power, we’ll explore how these forces affect civil liberties and what we can do to resist them. To join us on May 15, 2025 at 6 PM EST, click the link below.

This virtual event will feature two experts who bring lived experience, scholarly insight, and deep commitment to justice:

👮 Antoine Ensley

Antoine Ensley began his law enforcement career in 1992 with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina, where he served for over a decade in roles including Senior Police Officer, SWAT Team Crisis Negotiator, and Police Sergeant. In 2004, he was appointed Chief of Police for the Fletcher Police Department, and later became Superintendent for Juvenile Justice Programs in Norfolk, VA. Ensley brings a unique insider perspective on the transformation of policing and now splits his time between Charlotte and Johannesburg, South Africa, where he continues to work in community safety and justice reform.

📚 Professor Alex S. Vitale

Alex S. Vitale is a leading voice on policing and social justice. He is Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College and Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project at the CUNY Graduate Center. With over 30 years of research and writing on the topic, Vitale is the author of The End of Policing, a widely influential book that has sparked global conversations about public safety. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Nation, and many more, and he has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and The Daily Show.

Together, we’ll examine how to demilitarize public institutions and reimagine justice from the ground up.