When two Atlanta police officers accused Quavius Glover, 22, of trying to mow them down in a vehicle in June 2013, public defender Zanele Ngubeni knew she had her work cut out for her.
“Unfortunately, the face of the criminal justice system has become the face of the young Black male,” says Ngubeni, 32. “But we have to be careful not to look at young Black males and stereotype all of them. My client wears locs; he’s got several colors of dye in his hair. He likes jewelry. But when you listen to him, you realize he’s a young man worth listening to.”