The Bridge Too Far | 7

Since the dawn of time, humanity has been at war. Conflict in one form or another has been part of our existence since we first walked the earth.

To understand the present you have to look at the past. Between them, our four officers have clocked more than 100 years of police work. Their careers spanned from the 1980s to now; they worked through the protests following the police beating of Rodney King, the Black Lives Matter marches and the outpouring of grief and anger following the killing of Tyre Nichols in early 2023. In the final episode of the series, our officers reflect on their time in law enforcement and answer the ultimate, burning question: is it really, truly possible to be both Black and Blue? Contact: Email: [email protected] Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStories Instagram: @BlanchardHouseStories X (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweets Blanchard House website: blanchard-house.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2016 and Maplewood is holding its annual July 4th celebrations. Everything is running smoothly –- until it’s not. After years of growing tension between the police and the Black community, Maplewood PD has one of its darkest nights; a night that shocks the community, and challenges its identity for years to come. Contact: Email: [email protected] Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStories Instagram: @BlanchardHouseStories X (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweets Blanchard House website: blanchard-house.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we leave Maplewood we speak to someone we haven’t heard from yet. Someone whose voice is rarely ever heard at all. Meet Tina, one of the vanishingly small number of Black women in American law enforcement. Her story will make us question why so few like her make it in the force and ultimately whether police work, for Black women, is really worth it. Contact: Email: [email protected] Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStories Instagram: @BlanchardHouseStories X (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweets Blanchard House website: blanchard-house.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s 2003 and Michael Morrison progresses at Maplewood Police Department. But when an incident escalates at the local high school and Michael is forced to intervene, he’s accused of police brutality and his career is thrown into crisis. Once again he’s faced with the reality of his dual identity. But this time he’s forced to pick a side: Black or Blue? Contact: Email: [email protected] Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStories Instagram: @BlanchardHouseStories X (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweets Blanchard House website: blanchard-house.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices