Book Description

InJUSTICE is Pedro Perez's memoir chronicling his journey from poverty to the highest position in the New York State Police. In highly personal prose, Perez poignantly expresses how he adroitly and coolly challenged his fellow troopers' racial microaggressions and ultimately gained their respect. The book sheds light on institutional racism within the force and Perez's commitment to reform. He overcame racism and microaggressions to rise through the ranks. As a state trooper, Perez sought to reconcile the seeming contradiction between his progressive values, anti-racism, and identity (Perez identifies as an Afro-Caribbean Taino) and serving in an organization that stubbornly resisted opening its ranks to Black and Latino men and women. It concludes with Perez's argument for police reform and addressing the legacy of racism affecting police relations with racialized communities. Dr. Pedro Caban - Former Vice Provost for Diversity and Educational Equity at the State University of New York and Professor & Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies - Department of Latin American, Caribbean & U.S. Latino Studies ******************************************************************************************* This book speaks to the individual fortitude that it takes for any person to be successful in a police culture. Add in what Pedro Perez had to navigate, around, the individual and systemic racism, that is omnipresent for non-white people in the NYSP and the United States. Factors that can make everyday task almost a miracle to accomplish for non-white people. Bravo my brother! Anthony Ellis - New York State Police Chief Inspector - Colonel (Retired) ******************************************************************************************* Pedro Perez's book, InJUSTICE, expertly combines the story of his personal journey as a New York State Trooper of Afro-Caribbean descent with his account of his tireless efforts to make the NYSP a more just, equitable institution: one that protects the rights of all New Yorkers. Perez writes with courageous honesty about how the very same law enforcement agency that lifted him and his family from poverty also challenged him to reform its institutionalized racism from within, all while doing his best to protect and serve. This is a "must read" for anyone seeking to better understand the complexities of working in law enforcement as a member of a marginalized minority. It is an urgent call of conscience to all New Yorkers and Americans to make our vital law enforcement institutions instruments of genuine justice. Dan Ornstein - rabbi and author of Cain v Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama. ******************************************************************************************* InJUSTICE is the unique story of how Perez escapes from a life of poverty by joining the New York State Police. As one of a handful of Puerto Rican and African American state troopers in the 1980s, the author vividly reveals the challenges that officers of color face. With intelligence, courage, humor, and a commitment to administering justice, Perez examines the tensions that arise from carrying out law enforcement in a society shaped by inequalities of class, gender, ethnicity, and race, while also sharing a moving personal story. Barbara Smith - Author, The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom ******************************************************************************************* WOW! Pedro Perez' memoir is an inspiring account of one man's grappling with (internally as well as externally) issues underlying injustice. Throughout his journey from childhood in Lower East Side Manhattan to the highest ranks of the New York State Troopers, Pedro Perez encounters all types of injustice including racism, gender bias, and poverty. His unique story of attempting systemic change from within while experiencing the harmful effects of these injustices is nothing short of heroic. The brutal honesty in this book is both refreshing and intimidating. It is not simply a call for change, but a true account of one man answering that call. Will you join him? Kevin P. Tully - Mecklenburg County Public Defenders Office