NBN Book of the Day Gloria Browne-Marshall, "A Protest History of the United States" (Beacon Press, 2026) Revisited
Feb 8, 2026
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, civil rights attorney and constitutional law professor, returns to discuss protesting violent policing and the long arc of resistance in the U.S. She traces policing’s roots, critiques militarization and token reforms, and connects historic martyrs like Jimmy Lee Jackson to today’s movements. Several chapters warn about dangers of nighttime protest and the stakes of complacency.
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Episode notes
Baldwin’s Timeless Diagnosis
- James Baldwin's analysis still fits modern policing as a recurring American failure to learn from history.
- Gloria J. Brown Marshall says protests must push toward a better vision without becoming the enemy they oppose.
Policing As Enforcer Of Elite Order
- Modern policing grew from elites using lower-tier agents to enforce hierarchy and discipline marginalized people.
- Brown Marshall traces policing's role from overseers and bounty hunters to today's fragmented system lacking national reform.
Demand Federal, Teeth-Backed Reform
- Push for federal-level, Voting-Rights-scale legislation to address policing across 18,000 jurisdictions.
- Demand laws with teeth that reach state and local levels rather than token measures like symbolic holidays.
