Can Dancing Bridge a Gap Between Police and the Inner City?

I live in Oakland where there are neighborhoods the police won’t even go to.  To say the least, there is a huge cultural gap between the inner city and the police.  Mistrust flies rampant in both directions.

Dancing Pigs

The police are called pigs (you’d think there would be a newer epithet by now) by the rebellious black teens and many of the police act as if all black people are criminals.  In this video, the culture of dance bridges that gap.

Hip Hop Cop

A cop enters a hip hop contest.  Someone still calls him a pig, but it’s effect is dulled by the fact that he more than holds his own in the competition.  This dance is part of the inner city culture and anyone who does it well earns respect however grudgingly.

I’ve always thought dance was the best ambassador for peace, not just between nations, but a healer for the strife with which we struggle at home

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by LaurieAnn Lepoff

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