In racist police text scandal, US town sees echoes of an intolerant past

Trail remembers that there was not a single Black student in her high school graduating class. When Debbie Joseph, a local store clerk who has lived in Antioch her whole life, graduated three years later, just two of her classmates were Black.

Antioch is also a city that takes pride in its law enforcement. In the downtown corridor, blue flags honoring officers and veterans hang from lamp-posts, making that culture clear to visitors.

To re-establish a trusting relationship between law enforcement and the people of Antioch, community leaders are adamant that systemic changes must be made. Removing the implicated officers from the force, while necessary, is not enough, said Thorpe. (At present, several officers have been placed on administrative leave, but no firings have been announced.)