Episode 23: “They Called Me a Radical”with Guest Glenda Beard
We are excited and humbled to welcome Retired Major Glenda Beard to the show this week! She was the first female investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and major for the Durham City Police Department, as well as BJ’s mentor when she joined the force. We hear about Glenda’s background in the police department as well as her work with juveniles as a middle school teacher, and what she’s doing to work with youth now. She talks about law enforcement, comparing how it was when she was on the force versus now, especially in Black communities, and how officers aren’t connecting with their community anymore. Our hosts join in to discuss how to make the law enforcement and jail systems more compassionate, before Glenda finishes the show by dropping some wisdom about what she learned by living through 2020.