Joshua Clark Davis
@joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
2.8K followers 400 following 190 posts
Author POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT (Oct. 2025) on civil rights activists vs. state violence, surveillance, undercover officer infiltration | Historian, University of Baltimore | Bylines at The Nation, Jacobin, Slate joshuaclarkdavis.com
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joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
Advance copies of POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT are making it out in the world. The book retells the civil rights struggle of the ‘60s through its overlooked work against police violence—and the surveillance, infiltration and legal repression activists endured in return.

Pub date is 10/07!
Police Against the Movement cover Police Against the Movement cover
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
Have a piece today in TEEN VOGUE from my new book POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT detailing how the NYPD, LAPD, cops in Chicago and Memphis surveilled the civil rights movement—and then destroyed millions of surveillance files in the ‘70s, including ones that may have shed like on MLK’s assassination.
Police Departments Tracked Activists in the 1960s and 70s — Then Erased Records by Joshua Clark Davis
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
mguariglia.bsky.social
🚨 We wrote about Flock rolling out "distress detection" that monitored human voices on their gunshot detection devices & asked how it was lawful under eavesdropping laws.

Now, they've changed the ad to replace a "SCREAMING" alert with a "DISTRESS" alert. See below:

www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
An add for flock raven with the title "safety you can see and now hear" with an alert for someone "screaming" An add for flock raven with the title "safety you can see and now hear" with an alert that says "distress"
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
princetonupress.bsky.social
Tomorrow (October 9th) at 7:00 pm PDT, please join Skylight Books in welcoming @joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social for a discussion of his book, Police Against the Movement, in conversation with @elizabethkai.bsky.social.

Learn more about this free, in-person event here: buff.ly/dBngfAS
Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back by Joshua Clark Davis Joshua Clark Davis
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
citylightsbooks.bsky.social
📢 Tuesday 10/7 7pm PT
@joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social in conversation w/ Daphne Muse
celebrating POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back
@princetonupress.bsky.social

In-person, or register for Zoom here: citylights.com/events/joshu...
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
A federal worker "told her that a time-stamped application for a 1st Amendment demonstration can be automatically permitted after 24 hours, if it isn’t explicitly denied.
She submitted another application...When no one responded directly to the permit by Thursday, the group reinstalled the statue."
Statue of Trump and Epstein Holding Hands Returns to National Mall
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
pdefenselesspod.bsky.social
Today, I spoke w @joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social about his new book, Police Against the Movement. Joshua recounts how local police infiltrated, surveilled, & sabotaged civil rights orgs, how those orgs fought back, & what it means for modern police reform movements

open.spotify.com/episode/1IVv...
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
princetonupress.bsky.social
By placing activism against state violence at the center of the civil rights story, @joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social's Police Against the Movement offers critical insight into the power of political resistance in the face of government attacks on protest.

Out Oct 7: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back by Joshua Clark Davis. A bold retelling of the 1960s civil rights struggle through its work against police violence—and a prehistory of both the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements that emerged half a century later
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
drchrisdeutsch.bsky.social
This book promises to be one of those works that cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about the struggle for civil rights.
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
My new book, POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT, comes out 10/7 and I'm going on a book tour in SF, LA, Baltimore, DC, NYC, and ATL!

10/07, SF: City Lights w/ Daphne Muse
10/09, LA: Skylight w/ Elizabeth Hinton
10/16, Baltimore: Red Emma's w/Judy Richardson
10/18, DC: Politics & Prose w/Judy Richardson
Cover of Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back by Joshua Clark Davis Police Against the Movement Book Tour

October 7, 2025

City Lights Bookstore

In conversation with Daphne Muse

San Francisco, CA

October 9, 2025

Skylight Books

In conversation with Elizabeth Hinton

Los Angeles, CA

October 16, 2025, 7PM

Red Emma’s

In conversation with Judy Richardson

Baltimore, MD

October 18, 2025

Politics & Prose

In conversation with Judy Richardson

Washington, DC Police Against the Movement Book Tour

November 6, 2025, 7PM

The Word is Change Bookstore

In conversation with Chenjerai Kumanyika

Brooklyn, NY

November 10, 2025, 7PM

Zinn Education Project—Teach the Black Freedom Struggle

Online conversation with Jesse Hagopian

Zinn Education Program

December 2, 2025

Enoch Pratt Central Library, Wheeler Auditorium

In conversation with Jill Carter

Baltimore, MD

December 4, 2025

Acapella Books at the Auburn Avenue Research Library

Atlanta, GA
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT retells the '60s civil rights struggle through its overlooked work against police violence and the surveillance, infiltration, and retaliatory prosecutions they faced from police in return. It's a pre-history of both the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements.
Cover of Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back by Joshua Clark Davis
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
11/06, Brooklyn: The Word is Change w/ Chenjerai Kumanyika
12/02, Baltimore: Enoch Pratt Central Library w/ Jill Carter
12/04, Atlanta: A Cappella Books @ Auburn Ave Research Center w/ Josie Duffey Rice
November 6, 2025, 7PM

The Word is Change Bookstore

In conversation with Chenjerai Kumanyika

Brooklyn, NY

November 10, 2025, 7PM

Zinn Education Project—Teach the Black Freedom Struggle

Online conversation with Jesse Hagopian

Zinn Education Program

December 2, 2025

Enoch Pratt Central Library, Wheeler Auditorium

In conversation with Jill Carter

Baltimore, MD

December 4, 2025

Acapella Books at the Auburn Avenue Research Library

Atlanta, GA
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
My new book, POLICE AGAINST THE MOVEMENT, comes out 10/7 and I'm going on a book tour in SF, LA, Baltimore, DC, NYC, and ATL!

10/07, SF: City Lights w/ Daphne Muse
10/09, LA: Skylight w/ Elizabeth Hinton
10/16, Baltimore: Red Emma's w/Judy Richardson
10/18, DC: Politics & Prose w/Judy Richardson
Cover of Police Against the Movement: The Sabotage of the Civil Rights Struggle and the Activists Who Fought Back by Joshua Clark Davis Police Against the Movement Book Tour

October 7, 2025

City Lights Bookstore

In conversation with Daphne Muse

San Francisco, CA

October 9, 2025

Skylight Books

In conversation with Elizabeth Hinton

Los Angeles, CA

October 16, 2025, 7PM

Red Emma’s

In conversation with Judy Richardson

Baltimore, MD

October 18, 2025

Politics & Prose

In conversation with Judy Richardson

Washington, DC Police Against the Movement Book Tour

November 6, 2025, 7PM

The Word is Change Bookstore

In conversation with Chenjerai Kumanyika

Brooklyn, NY

November 10, 2025, 7PM

Zinn Education Project—Teach the Black Freedom Struggle

Online conversation with Jesse Hagopian

Zinn Education Program

December 2, 2025

Enoch Pratt Central Library, Wheeler Auditorium

In conversation with Jill Carter

Baltimore, MD

December 4, 2025

Acapella Books at the Auburn Avenue Research Library

Atlanta, GA
joshuaclarkdavis.bsky.social
Hoping to check out the only museum in the US dedicated to public housing the next time I’m in Chicago
yonahfreemark.com
If you’re visiting Chicago, I strongly recommend checking out the National Public Housing Museum (& sign up for a tour). It’s a great museum. Plus it’s across the street from a brand new combined affordable housing + library complex, and on the very nice Taylor St retail corridor.
National Public Housing Museum in Chicago Combined affordable housing and library on Taylor St in Chicago
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
joeyneverjoe.bsky.social
LA Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive today to expedite the hiring process for new LAPD officers. It currently takes a year for applicant to apply and then hired. She wants it cut to 180 days by shortening the psych, background check, and medical exam process.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE NO. 14
Issue Date: September 11, 2025
Subject:
Modernizing the Officer Hiring Process to Grow the Police
Department
The City of Los Angeles is the largest city geographically in the United States at 550 square miles, and the second-largest city in the United States in population, with a population of 3.8 million people. Yet, the LAPD currently has about two officers for every 1,000 residents. By comparison, the City of New York has a force size of 36,000 sworn officers, or about four officers for every 1,000 New Yorkers. The City of Chicago has a force of approximately 11,600 sworn officers for a population of 2.7 million, equating to about 4.3 officers per 1000 residents. We must have enough officers to effectively and sustainably keep Angelenos safe in the coming years, especially as we host major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games welcoming millions of visitors to our neighborhoods.
The City has worked to address officer retention and attrition by securing competitive and fair pay for LAPD officers and personnel. Following this action, the number of LAPD applicants reached a four-year-high. In addition to investing in increased wages, with enhanced salaries for new officers, the City has bolstered the recruiting pipeline to ensure that candidates with a desire to serve their communities are applying to join the force, and augmented its background investigations staff with support from the Police Department to increase the size of Academy classes.
Yet, the City's hiring process for officers has prevented many applicants from moving efficiently through the selection process to join the LAPD Academy and ultimately serve in the LAPD. On average, it takes 322 days - nearly one calendar year - for a candidate to get from their Personal History Statement submission to the last step required to be assigned to an academy class. We must work urgently to make change. By combining process improvements and enhancements to candidate selection processes, it should be possible to fill existing academy classes and overcome the natural attrition in the Department to begin growing the size of the LAPD.
To that end, I am hereby directing the Personnel and Police Departments to perform the following actions within 15 days:
1. Develop and implement written protocols and a case management agreement to effectively expedite the Police Officer selection process to increase the number of qualified candidates selected for the LAPD Academy; and
2. Establish benchmarks for the duration of each stage in the City's Police Officer selection process, such as field investigation, medical, polygraph, and psychiatric exams and implement measures to shorten the time required for each stage, aiming for candidates to complete the entire selection process within 180 days; and
3. Ensure that the expedited process maximizes class sizes with a goal of achieving consistently full LAPD Academy classes with highly qualified candidates that are likely to become Police Officers.
I further direct the Personnel Department to create and staff a dedicated LAPD Hiring Division within the Personnel Department that has appropriate staffing to work in partnership with the LAPD to ensure that Police Academy candidates move through the selection process swiftly and efficiently and meet the LAPD's standards for graduation.
I further direct the Office of the City Administrative Officer to work with the Personnel Department to ensure that the new LAPD Hiring Division has appropriate supervision and staff support to succeed.
I further direct the Police Department to examine Academy graduation rates and the sentiment of recruits to determine whether there are refinements or improvements to the training and drill programs to increase the likelihood of graduating qualified recruits to become Police Officers.
Executed this 11th day of September 2025
Kaven Bags
KAREN BASS
Mayor
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
baynardwoods.bsky.social
It’s stunning how badly all the other outlets soft-pedaled the body-cam footage, missing virtually every important detail in their stories about the it. Now that it has been ruled a homicide, I hope other outlets pay better attention. Grateful to be able to cover this for the Beat.
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
tgpeterson.bsky.social
"Deepest darkest Africa" is a real tell for the way these people see the world
thebulwark.com
Trump: "We stopped three wars. Go to Africa. They like to say, oh, you know — I love black people. And I did great with the vote of the black people. But they say 'He's a racist, he's a racist.' Really?...The Congo, that's deep into deepest, darkest Africa."
Reposted by Joshua Clark Davis
newseye.bsky.social
NEW: Wearing masks, no ID, unmarked & blacked out cars, refusing to say what agency they’re from and using profanity with any press & public nearby.

This was at 14th & R in Washington DC, this morning (Sunday).

What the hell is happening to the US?

(🎥 Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post)