In part 1 of ‘The NEW Conversation’, we explore the WHY. WHY is it important to build bridges between the police and the Black community? WHY is it urgent to ensure police reform and accountability? Dwayne Bryant shares powerful stories of police and Black civilian interactions with his students and discusses with them their perceptions of the police as he empowers them to understand their role and responsibility in every police encounter. Dwayne is uniquely qualified to offer his valuable insight having graduated from the FBI Citizen’s Academy, currently serving as a Community Advisor to COPA (Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability), and having led countless workshops on social education. He has truly fulfilled his desire to be a more informed community leader and to help create solutions to bridge the gap between the Black community and the police.