>>> THE UPCOMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTYX ITS BOARD, STAFF OR UNDERWRITERS.

♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ >>> WELCOME TO THE BOOKCASE.

I´M YOUR HOST SHAWNA RICHARDS, SOMETIME WRITER AND LONG-TIME READER.

I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME AS WE EXPLORE THE BOOKCASE AND CELEBRATE VIRGIN ISLAND´S AUTHORS AND THEIR TALENTS.

EACH WEEK ON THE BOOKCASE WE´LL INTRODUCE YOU TO A LOCAL AUTHOR AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR WORK.

A STORY TELLER LIVES IN EACH OF US AND I AM SO EXCITED TO GIVE OUR HOME GROWN STORY TELLERS, A CHANCE TO TELL THEIR STORY.

TONIGHT´S SELECTION FROM THE BOOKCASE IS "FROM SCAPEGOAT TO LAMBS, HOW GOD SPEAKS THROUGH GEORGE FLOYD´S MURDER."

CHARLES BROWN, JR., WELCOME TO THE BOOKCASE.

>> SHAWNA, IT´S AMAZING TO BE HERE.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> SOME OF US MAY KNOW YOU AS A PUBLIC POLL ADVISER FOR ONE OF OUR LOCAL SENATORS AND A PASTOR OF AN A.M.E. CHURCH.

I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AS CHARLES BROWN THE AUTHOR.

>> CHARLES BROWN THE AUTHOR IS ABOUT TO TURN 55 THIS SUMMER.

HE IS ORIGINALLY FROM BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, BORN AND RAISED, BEEN IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS SINCE WAS INVITED HERE BY THE AFTER KAGT METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO START A WORK HERE ON THE ISLAND OF ST. THOMAS.

WE HAVE 2:00 A.M.E.

CHURCHES THAT ARE APPROXIMATELY 102 YEARS OLD IN ST. CROIX, SO I WAS GIVEN THE TASK TO COME HERE AND START A CHURCH HERE IN ST. THOMAS.

AND MAY 25th, 2020, SOMETHING HORRENDOUS HAPPENED, AND IT CAUSED ME TO WRITE THIS BOOK, AND HERE WE ARE TODAY.

>> IN YOUR BOOK, YOU CALL MAY 25th, 2020, YOU SAID IT WAS A DAY OF METAMORPHOSIS.

THAT DAY, AS WE KNOW BASED ON YOUR BOOK AND FROM HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS, WAS A DAY THAT GEORGE FLOYD WAS HORRIFICALLY AND TRAGICALLY KILLED BY POLICE.

BUT WHY DO YOU CALL THAT A DAY OF META -- METAMORPHOSIS?

>> IT WAS A DAY OF METAMORPHOSIS BECAUSE IT COMPELLED GOD TO GIVE US ANSWERS.

I REMEMBER WHERE I WAS WHEN TRAYVON MARTIN WAS KILLED.

I REMEMBER WHERE I WAS WHEN MICHAEL BROWN WAS KILLED IN FERGUSON, MISSOURI.

BUT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WAS JUST SO GRAPHIC AND SO CALLOUS THAT IT CAUSED ME TO SAY, GOD, I CAN´T BE AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS IF YOU DON´T GIVE ME SOMETHING TO HELP MAKE THIS MAKE SENSE.

AND SO THAT´S METAMORPHOSIS ON ONE LEVEL THAT GOD PUSHED ME TO ASK FOR ANSWERS, AND GOD GAVE ME SOME ANSWERS.

ANSWERS THAT I HAD NEVER EVEN REALLY CONCEPTUALIZED.

AND SO THAT´S ONE PART.

BUT I THINK THE BIGGER PART IS JUST THAT THAT ONE INCIDENT ALLOWED A GLOBAL RESPONSE.

PEOPLE FROM SYRIA, PEOPLE FROM SWITZERLAND, ALL OVER THE WORLD SAW THAT EVENT AND WERE MOVED TO SPEAK OUT AND SAY, NO, THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

SO, YEAH.

>> SO YOU WERE INSPIRED TO WRITE THIS BOOK, YOU WERE CALLED TO WRITE THIS BOOK.

BUT YOU LOOK AT THE TIME LINE LEADING UP TO MAY 25th, 2020, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OTHER INCIDENTS.

LIKE YOU SAID, WE HAD TRAYVON MARTIN.

WE´VE HAD SO MANY BLACK MEN, PHILANDO CASTILE.

WE LOST SO MANY BLACK MEN TO POLICE VIOLENCE.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT, APART FROM THE VERY GRAPHIC NATURE?

>> I THINK THE EXPRESSION ON DEREK CHAUVIN´S FACE, WHICH TO ME WHEN I SAW IT, WAS COMMUNICATING, THIS IS WHAT I´M SUPPOSED TO DO.

I AM COMFORTABLE DOING THIS.

THIS IS WHAT I AM CALLED TO DO.

THIS IS, IN ESSENCE, WHO I AM AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

THAT FOR ME WAS EXTREMELY ALARMING, AS IT WAS FOR THE BYSTANDERS WHO WERE RIGHT THERE ON THE SCENE, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO SAW THE VIDEO.

>> IN YOUR BOOK, DO YOU HAVE -- DO YOU SPEAK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAUMA THAT´S CAUSED TO MARGINALIZE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES?

IS IT CENTERING ON THE TRAUMA OR ON THE HOPE?

>> I THINK IT´S BOTH.

I CERTAINLY DIVE INTO THE AGONY OF FEELING LIKE, AS A COUNTRY AT LEAST, WE SPEAK WORDS THAT ARE -- THAT SAY POLICE REFORM, BUT THE ACTIONS OF THE POLICE, DESPITE LEGISLATION THAT GETS PASSED, DESPITE IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING, WHAT WE´RE SEEING ON THE GROUND IS STILL THIS SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT TO BREAK THE LAW.

AND I´M GOING TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU, SHAWNA, THAT I HAVEN´T SHARED, I DON´T THINK, IN A PUBLIC FORUM, AND THAT IS THAT THERE IS NO OTHER ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY THAT I KNOW THAT CONDONES BREAKING THE LAW.

WHEN I HAD THE INTERVIEW WITH MY COUSIN, HE SPECIFICALLY SAID, PEOPLE JOIN THE POLICE FORCE TO BREAK THE LAW.

THAT FOR ME SO WHEN YOU SAY TRAUCHL A, I´M THINKING OKAY.

JUST HEARING THOSE WORDS ARE TRAUMATIC.

JUST HEARING THEM.

MUCH LESS BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OR THE RECEIVING END OF THE ACTION THAT COMES OUT OF THE BEHAVIOR THAT COMES OUT OF THAT CHARACTERIZATION.

SO, YES, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SPEAK TO THE TRAUMA, BUT I ALSO TRY TO SPEAK TO THE HOPE AS WELL.

I DON´T JUST TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITHOUT GIVING US SOME WAYS WE CAN DEAL WITH IT.

IN YOUR BOOK YOU SAY CRIMINAL JUSTICE HAS MASTERED THE ART OF SCAPEGOATING.

THAT IS THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK, "FROM SCAPEGOAT TO LAMB."

WHY DO YOU THINK GEORGE FLOYD IS SEEN IN THE CONTEXT -- HOW DO YOU SEE HIM IN THE CONTEXT OF A SCAPEGOAT AND CAN YOU LEAD US TO HIS METAMORPHOSIS AS THE LAMB IN YOUR BOOK?

>> I´LL TRY TO DO IT SUCCINCTLY.

IN TERMS OF SCAPEGOATING WHEN WE SAW THE TRIAL, WE SAW HOW THE DEFENSE GEORGE FLOYD AS SOMEONE DESERVING OF THE TREATMENT HE GOT FROM THE POLICE.

WHICH WAS AMAZING BECAUSE WHEN YOU KEPT LOOKING AT THE VIDEO, THE VIDEO WAS NOT -- THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE VIDEO THAT COMMUNICATED, OKAY.

THIS PERSON EVEN IF HE´S ALLEGED TO HAVE PASSED ON A $20 COUNTERFEIT BILL, HOW DOES THAT JUSTIFY PULLING OUT A GUN WITHIN 90 SECONDS OF MEETING HIM, WHEN GEORGE FLOYD WAS STILL IN THE CAR, HOW DOES IT JUSTIFY ALL OF THE ACTIONS AND, OF COURSE, THE NINE MINUTES 29 SECONDS ON DEREK CHAUVIN´S KNEE, IT JUST DOESN´T COMPUTE.

THE DEFENSE TRIED TO PAINT THIS PICTURE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, HE WAS HIGH.

HE WAS THIS TOWERING DARK FIGURE -- YES.

>> THEY PAINTED A PICTURE -- THEY DEMONIZED HIM.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> WHICH IS A TERM THAT YOU KEPT CIRCLING BACK TO IN "FROM SCAPEGOAT TO LAMB."

YOU CIRCLED BACK TO THE DEMONIZATION OF GEORGE FLOYD.

CAN YOU TELL THE AUDIENCE WHY YOU FEEL THAT DEMONIZATION IS A REAL TOOL AS A SCAPEGOAT?

NOT JUST GEORGE FLOYD, BUT OTHER MARGINALIZED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY?

>> WE´VE BEEN PAINTED AS A THREAT HISTORICALLY.

THAT´S JUST BEEN OUR -- THAT HAS BEEN THE JUSTIFICATION FOR CHARACTERIZING US IN MENACING TERMS AND LAYS THE GROUNDWORK THEN FOR THE BEHAVIOR OR VIOLENCE THAT ENSUES FROM THAT I´M DOING THIS BECAUSE.

I´M JUSTIFIED BECAUSE OF X, Y AND Z SO THE NOTION OF GEORGE FLOYD BEING DEMONIZED IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK, WHETHER YOU´RE ON THE MAINLAND OR HERE IN THE TERRITORY, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE UNDER A CONSENT DECREE HERE IN THE TERRITORY BECAUSE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN OUR PENAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE TREATED, SCAPEGOATED, HAVE BEEN VIOLENT WITH SOME INMATES.

FOR EXAMPLE, BENJAMIN HODGE, FOR EXAMPLE.

IT MAY MANIFEST ITSELF IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT REGARDLESS, POLICE INSTITUTIONS, WHETHER IN THE MAINLAND OR HERE USE THESE TOOLS.

THEY CRIMINALIZE US, THEY DEMON EYES US ON PURPOSE SO THAT BECOMES THE PLATFORM UPON WHICH VIOLENCE CAN BE REAL.

>> IN YOUR BOOK SCAPEGOAT TO LAMBS, YOU SAY IT IS THE ADDICTION OF UNDERSTANDING MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, BUT YOU ALSO TAKE THE READERS THROUGH THE GOSPEL.

>> SURE.

>> YOU KNOW, WE LEARN ABOUT ELIJAH.

BUT YOU SAY THAT YOU´RE NOT COMPARING GEORGE FLOYD TO JESUS.

I´VE SEEN ART AS GEORGE FLOYD IS PICTURED AS A JESUS FIGURE.

AND YOUR BOOK IS VERY ROOTED IN RELIGION.

HOW DO YOU -- HOW CAN THE READER -- TAKE US THROUGH UNDERSTANDING WHY THE GOSPELS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE STORY OF GEORGE FLOYD.

>> I´LL JUST PULL OUT ONE SPECIFIC GOSPEL NARRATIVE THAT DOESN´T INVOLVE JESUS.

IT INVOLVES A PERSON WHO IS IN CHAINS, AND THAT PERSON IS POSSESSED BY DEMONS.

AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT HE BREAKS OUT OF THE CHAINS, BUT HE STAYS IN THE TOOMZ.

THE COMMUNITY COMES, THEY RETRAIN CHAIN HIM HE INNETFLIX VIOLENCE ON HIMSELF.

HE BREAKS OUT OF THE CHAINS.

THEY KEEP DOING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

AND WHEN JESUS COMES IN, JESUS PROVIDES A VEHICLE FOR HIM TO ESCAPE FROM THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AND SELF-DESTRUCTION.

AND THE COMMUNITY, ONCE THEY RECOGNIZE WHAT JESUS HAS DONE, THEY´RE LIKE, OH, NO, YOU GOT TO GO, YOU GOT TO GO.

SO I TAKE THAT PIECE AND I TALK ABOUT THE REVOLVING DOOR OF THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX WE HAVE BUILT ON THE MAINLAND AND HERE.

IT´S NOT ABOUT REHABILITATION SENATOR KAINE HAS CHARACTERIZED -- >> WOULD YOU SAY THAT -- WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX >> SURE >> WAS REALLY GERMANE TO HIV BEING SCAPEGOATED OR WAS IT AN ATTEMPT TO HUMANIZE HIM AND DO YOU TOUCH THAT IN YOUR BOOK?

>> SCAPEGOATING GOES HAND IN HAND.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT A CURSORY HISTORY OF GEORGE FLOYD, HE WAS ONE WHO HAD ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AT MULTIPLE POINTS.

IN FACT, YOU KNOW, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I´M STILL WONDERING IF DEREK CHAUVIN, BECAUSE THEY HAD HISTORY PRIOR TO THAT MOMENT, WHETHER OR NOT HE KNEW OF GEORGE FLOYD´S CRIMINAL JUSTICE -- CRIMINAL HISTORY.

I DON´T KNOW IF HE KNEW ABOUT THAT.

IT´S VERY POSSIBLE THAT HE DID.

I CAN´T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

BUT THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS A MAN WHO IS TRYING TO BREAK OUT OF THIS CYCLE.

THIS VERY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CYCLE.

>> SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT IS THE METAMORPHOSIS THAT YOU REFERENCE, THAT FLOYD HIMSELF IS TRYING TO BREAK OUT OF THIS CYCLE, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE WORLD MAY NOT UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IS THAT PART OF HIS METAMORPHOSIS?

BECAUSE MY BIOLOGY MAY BE A BIT RUSTY, BUT SO MUCH OF A METAMORPHOSIS IS UNSEEN.

THE BUTTERFLY EMERGES, WE KNOW THE METAMORPHOSIS HAS TAKEN PLACE.

>> SURE.

AND I THINK TO THE EXTENT IN WHICH THE POLICE OFFICERS WERE -- THEIR ACTIONS IN ONE SENSE LOOKED LIKE THEY HAVE BLUNTED THE METAMORPHOSIS, THEY ACTUALLY FACILITATE ANOTHER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT KIND OF METAMORPHOSIS WHERE HE TRIUMPHS OVER THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN A WAY HE COULDN´T IMAGINE.

>> HOW DID WRITING THIS BOOK TRANSFORM YOU?

WHAT WAS YOUR METAMORPHOSIS IN BRINGING THIS BOOK FROM, FROM A CONCEPT TO FRUITION?

>> ALL RIGHT, IT´S -- I´LL TRY TO ANSWER THE FIRST -- THE FIRST ONE FIRST, WHICH WAS ABOUT HOW DID THIS CHANGE ME.

SO, NOW AS A PREACHER, I´VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT GOD CAN, AND GOD´S WORK CAN UNIQUELY SPEAK TO OUR SITUATIONS, BUT I WILL HONESTLY SAY THAT ME PERSONALLY, AND I THINK COLLECTIVELY AS THE BLACK CHURCH, WE HAVEN´T DONE A GOOD JOB OF HELPING THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THE RELEVANCE OF GOD´S WORD IN VERY CONCRETE AND SPECIFIC WAYS TO HELP ADDRESS SOME SOCIETAL ISSUES.

NOW AFTER HAVING DONE THIS WORK, BECAUSE I MEAN, I´VE BEEN A STUDENT OF THE BIBLE FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND I NEVER SAW POLICE BRUTALITY IN THE TEXT.

BUT IT WAS WHEN I DEMANDED -- IF YOU WANT ME TO BE YOUR SERVANT, YOU´VE GOT TO SHOW ME WHERE THIS ADDRESSES THIS.

AND ONCE THAT HAPPENED, I´M LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, GOD, I BELIEVED IT, BUT I DIDN´T STAND ON IT.

NOW THAT I TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH AND YOU GAVE ME THE NARRATIVE TO SEE HOW IT DOES RELATE, NOW, OKAY.

AS A CHURCH, WE NEED TO DO THE HOMEWORK TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES SEE HOW RELEVANT THIS TEXT THAT WAS WRITTEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO APPLIES TODAY.

GIVE ME THAT SECOND QUESTION AGAIN.

>> WELL, I´M GOING TO COME BACK TO THE SECOND QUESTION.

>> OKAY.

>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHURCH COLLECTIVELY NOT -- DO YOU THINK IT´S GROUNDED IN THE RESPECTABILITY POLITICS OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

OR DO YOU THINK IT´S JUST THAT THE CHURCH HAS NOT FULLY REALIZED THE NEXUS OF FAITH AND SOCIAL JUSTICE?

YOU CAN´T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER?

>> I THINK IT´S ALL OF THE ABOVE.

BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO PARK ON THE LATTER PIECE.

THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH IS ROOTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE BECAUSE IT WAS METHODISTS WHO WERE BEING DISCRIMINATED AND SAID, OH, Y´ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT JESUS AND LOVE AND SALVATION, BUT YOU STILL WANT TO -- YOU STILL WANT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST US.

WE´LL START OUR OWN, USING THE SAME BELIEFS YOU HAVE AND TURNING THEM AGAINST THE VERY PRACTICES THAT YOU´RE PREACHING.

SO FOR ME IT IS -- OKAY.

IF WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT GOD SPEAKS TO OUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND GOD´S WORD DOES SO, TOO, THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TEXT AND NOT JUST FOCUS ON WHAT´S HAPPENING THIS SUNDAY, WHICH IS JESUS IS GOING TO GET UP ON THE THIRD DAY AND HOLD OUR HOPE IN THAT.

GUESS WHAT, IT´S WAY MORE THAN THAT.

WHEN JESUS WAS BORN, KING HAIRED -- KING HEROD WAS COMING AFTER HIM BECAUSE HE SAW HIM AS A THREAT.

HOW MANY OF US AFTER WE´RE BORN FEEL LIKE THE WORLD IS AGAINST US?

IT´S NOT JUST WHAT HAPPENS ON THE CROSS.

IT´S JESUS´ WHOLE LIFE ALL THROUGH AND THROUGH WHERE WE CAN SEE, WHERE HE INTENTIONALLY GOES THROUGH THIS VERY SAME THING THAT WE GO THROUGH.

I THINK THAT´S INCREDIBLY ENLIGHTENING AND HELPFUL FOR US MOVING FORWARD.

>> READERS OF "SCAPEGOATS TO LAMBS" ARE GOING TO COME ACROSS THE TERM CHIROS THROUGHOUT.

>> YES.

>> WHY IS THAT SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT THAT INFORMED YOUR ENTIRE NOVEL?

>> BECAUSE SO MANY INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE HAPPENED BEFORE, AND NOTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN.

WHY IS IT THAT THIS PARTICULAR CASE -- THE CHIEF ARRESTED, YOU KNOW, HELD THE OFFICERS IN QUESTION ACCOUNTABLE, AS SOON AS HE SAW THE TAPE, MORE OR LESS, 100,000 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY SAID, THIS IS WRONG.

THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

SO FOR ME, I´M LOOKING AT ALL THESE OTHER SITUATIONS AND SAYING, WOW, THIS IS A UNIQUE MOMENT IN HISTORY.

THAT´S WHAT CHIROS FOR ME MEANS.

WHEN WE´RE TALKING ABOUT THE BIBLE, WE´RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME.

THAT IS WHEN ALL OF THESE FACTORS OF INFLUENCE COME TOGETHER AND CONVERGE AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE, AND THAT MOMENT IS MAXIMIZED.

FOR THE ME THAT´S GEORGE FLOYD BECAUSE IT ALLOWED THE WORLD TO SEE, WOW, THIS IS GOING ON.

THIS WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT.

THIS IS SYSTEMIC.

>> AND IN THAT SYSTEMIC THREAT, AND I KNOW IN YOUR BOOK YOU REFERENCE A LONG LIST OF OTHER BROWN AND BLACK PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRAGICALLY LOST THEIR LIVES TO POLICE BRUTALITY.

I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GET YOU OUR AUDIENCE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR BOOK, AND IF THERE IS A FAVORITE PASSAGE YOU COULD SHARE WITH US.

>> SURE.

THE MEMORY CHAPTER OF JOHN 30 TRANSLATES, QUOTE, THEY ANSWERED, IF THIS WERE NOT A CRIMINAL, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HANDED HIM OVER TO YOU, END QUOTE.

IN THESE 16 WORDS, THE JEWISH LEADERS EXPOSED THE RIGGED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR WHAT IT IS.

THE SANHEDRAN REMIND PILATE OF THE SYSTEM UNDER ROMAN RULE.

THIS IS ABOUT NOT CHECKS AND BALANCES.

THIS IS NOT LEVELS OF ACCOUNTABILITY ENSURING THERE IS NO ABUSE.

CORRUPTION IS THE LUBRICANT THAT OILS THE MACHINE SO IT RUNS EFFICIENTLY AND VIOLENT SCAPEGOATING OF BLACK AND BROWN BODIES IS THE HIGH OCTANE BIOFUEL THAT ALLOWS THE MACHINE TO PERFORM AT HIGH LEVELS.

UNDER ROMAN RULE, AT THE MERCY OF A RICH ARISTOCRACY.

AS MICHELLE ALEXANDER NOTES "IN THE NEW JIM CROW," THE PARADE OF GUILTY PEOPLE THROUGH AMERICA´S COURT ROOMS GIVES THE FALSE IMPRESSION TO THE PUBLIC AND THE JUDGES IT GIVES THEM A HUNCH TO ACT ON IT.

JUDGES TEND TO IMAGINE THE SPECIAL POLICE TRAINING THAT QUALIFIES THEM TO IDENTIFY CRIMINALS IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY EVIDENCE.

AFTER ALL, THEY SEEM TO BE RIGHT SO MUCH OF THE TIME, DON´T THEY?

END QUOTE.

>> THROUGHOUT YOUR BOOK, YOU REFERENCE SO MANY, SO MANY THINGS THAT GAVE ME FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

YOU REFERENCED THE NEW JIM CROW.

THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.

YOU TALKED ABOUT LYNCHING IN WAYS THAT I HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE.

YOU REFERENCED CONCRETE LYNCHING.

AND FOR PERSONS READING THIS BOOK, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU SAY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A DEEP SENSE OF RELIGION OR OF OUR FAITH TO TRULY CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK?

>> I HOPE NOT.

BECAUSE WE´RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, IT GIVES ME HOPE.

IT´S GOING TO REACH -- I THINK -- IT´S CERTAINLY CENTERED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH TO BE ABLE TO LEVEL UP OR STEP UP IN THEIR FAITH AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO UTILIZE OUR FAITH TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF SOCIETAL PROBLEMS, OR AT LEAST CONFRONT, EXPLAIN, MAKE SENSE OF THEM.

I HOPE THAT I WROTE IT IN SUCH A WAY -- IF YOU DON´T HAVE THAT FAITH, THAT YOU SEE THAT THIS VIOLENCE THAT IS CONTINUING IS NOT JUST ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL.

THERE IS SOMETHING SPIRITUAL THAT´S GOING ON, THAT THE MERE PASSAGE OF LAWS, MORE TRAINING, TINKERING AROUND THE EDGES IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE PEOPLE´S -- POLICE OFFICERS´ BEHAVIOR.

THIS WAS SOMETHING EN GRAINED IN THE FOUNDATION OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THAT´S WHY I SAY JUST PASSING ANOTHER LAW IS NOT GOING TO CUT IT.

>> A QUESTION BEFORE WE CLOSE.

FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT THIS PROGRAM AND MAY FEEL THEY HAVE A STORY TO TELL, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU BRIEFLY GIVE TO OUR ASPIRING WRITERS OUT THERE?

>> PRAYERFULLY, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD WRITE A BOOK.

I REMEMBER IN SEMINARY MOCKING MY FRIENDS TYRONE ROSS, SAMUEL LILLY, OTHER FRIENDS.

I´M NOT WRITING A BOOK.

ONLY THE BLACK BOUGIESEI WRITE A BOOK.

THE AGONY AND TRAUMA OF WHAT I SAW PUT ME IN A POSITION FOR GOD TO SAY, GUESS WHAT, THE VERY THING YOU MADE FUN OF, YOU´RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO.

AND I PRAISE GOD NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT BECAUSE WHEN I READ FROM MY BOOK, I´M STILL ASTOUNDED THAT GOD ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT.

AND I FEEL LIKE ANYONE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR PURPOSE IS TO HELP HURTING PEOPLE -- >> WE ARE TELLING OUR ASPIRING WRITERS TO BE OPEN TO WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THEM.

>> YES.

>> IT IS A PLEASURE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR LOCAL TALENT CHARLES BROWN, JR. FOR ANY BOOKS, SCAPEGOAT TO LAMB, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, WTJX.PBS.ORG.

WE´LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WHEN WE TAKE ANOTHER BOOK FROM THE BOOKCASE.

♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ >> Announcer: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX, ITS BOARD, STAFF OR UNDERWRITERS.