ARRESTED MOBILITY | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation
Date and Time
Jun 19, 2025 6:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
Jun 19, 2025 6:00 pm
14th & V
Join us on Juneteenth to learn about this “powerful and unflinching exploration of the impact of mobility on communities of color in the United States”
"Charles T. Brown delivers a powerful and unflinching exploration of the impact of mobility on communities of color in the United States… He bravely addresses inequities woven into our legal and societal fabric while presenting concrete solutions that aim to dismantle these obstacles, fostering a future where everyone can experience the true gift of mobility." –Selika Josiah Talbott, Esq., Transportation advocate and educator
In the US, police frequently conduct traffic stops for reasons unrelated to safety. Study after study confirm that Black drivers experience higher rates of non-safety stops, searches, and use of force than White drivers. It’s part of a structural racism and White supremacy legacy that has led to disinvestment and over-policing in Black communities and communities of color. This has led to less opportunity, as physical mobility and social mobility are intrinsically linked. Arrested mobility is the experience that Black people around the world are facing.
In his new book Arrested Mobility: Overcoming the Threat to Black Movement, Charles T. Brown, founder and CEO of Equitable Cities, examines why mobility is not afforded in the same way to everyone. Join him for an event where he will discuss how the freedom of movement for Black Americans means confronting the harsh reality of White fear, fragility, and violence. He will demonstrate how un-arresting mobility creates an opportunity not just for a better society for Black people, but for all people.
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of ARRESTED MOBILITY will be available for purchase before and after the event, and Brown will be signing following the program. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.
Charles is an award-winning expert in planning and policy and has been interviewed by several notable outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, VICE and Bloomberg CityLab. He is highly regarded as a keynote speaker and leads workshops on transportation, health and equity for audiences worldwide.
Charles previously served as a senior researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, where he authored several groundbreaking national and local studies that redefined how experts analyze the role of race and racism in transportation and mobility. In 2020, Charles was part of the inaugural class of the Public Voices Fellowship on the Climate Crisis, which is managed by the Yale School of the Environment.
Charles is a military veteran and a recipient of the Mississippi Commendation Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He has a Master of Public Administration degree and graduate certificate in urban and regional planning from the University of Central Florida, where he received the 2020 Alumni Achievement Award for Public Administration. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Management degree from Belhaven College, where he received the James W. Park Academic Achievement Award. He is a certified instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, received a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Professional Designation (CPD) from the National Institute on Crime Prevention and is also a proud and active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
