We have borne witness in the last several years to a troubling trend—high-profile, deadly shootings that often involve law enforcement or get captured in real-time on video and spread via social media. In those situations, the communities in which the shootings occur often feel like they’re coming apart at the seams. That’s where mediators from the Community Relations Service often come in—quietly, without much fanfare—to help communities heal.

Grande Lum, former director of the Community Relations Service and the author of a book on the CRS, joined the podcast to chat about his work.