Wilbert L. Cooper explores Black policing in new memoir

In his memoir, ‘The Black Shield: An American Memoir of Family and Power’, Wilbert L. Cooper explores the complex duality of Black police officers. The book intertwines the history of the Black Shield of Cleveland—one of the nation’s oldest Black policing organizations—with the multigenerational story of Cooper’s own family, including his parents and sister who served in the Cleveland police force.

Cooper examines the historical roots of policing and the tension inherent in Black officers serving an institution that has historically been hostile to their own communities. He traces the Black Shield’s evolution from its founding nearly 80 years ago through significant legal battles, such as a 1972 court case against the City of Cleveland and modern efforts toward police reform following the deaths of Tamir Rice and George Floyd.