Will Cooper will be discussing his latest book and is accompanyed by special guest DJ Red-I

This is a free event; all are welcome.

Wilbert L. Cooper grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. He studied journalism at Ohio University and earned a master's degree in publishing at New York University. He has written for outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, the Marshall Project, and The Wall Street Journal. His Vice documentary The Cleveland Strangler was nominated for a National Magazine Award. In 2024, he was the recipient of the Richard J. Margolis Award. The Black Shield is his first book.

The Black Shield can be purchased here.

An intimate, bold work of literary nonfiction, The Black Shield is an urgent exploration of the complex duality of the Black cop. Cooper grapples with a knot of contradictions: Is the Black officer a sign of progressive change, or of a system that shifts its appearance without changing its outcomes? How to reconcile the fact that policing helped lift his family out of poverty while it has kept its knee on the necks of his people? Fearless and singularly powerful, The Black Shield gives us an American story about race and power that has never been told before.

DJ Red-I, also known as Brittany Benton and Phamily Foto, is a Cleveland-based DJ, producer, curator, educator, and label builder whose work connects hip-hop, house, soul, funk, electronic music, and physical music culture. A longtime presence in Cleveland’s music community, she is known for creating spaces where artists, DJs, producers, and listeners can gather around sound, discovery, and local creative history. Through her work as a performer, producer, record shop owner, and founder of YES PLS Records, Benton uses music as both a cultural document and a community-building tool. As Phamily Foto, her production leans into groove-driven electronic textures, warm rhythms, and house-adjacent sounds, while her DJ practice reflects a deep commitment to movement, memory, and connection.