Jerome Perkins was one of the first African Americans to serve as a police officer in South Bend, serving from 1952 to 1972. Back then, just like now, deep frustrations over African Americans’ treatment at the hands of police grew ever deeper. Jerome answered a call from the Mayor who hoped to improve community relationships by installing more Black officers.

In 2003, David Healey sat down with Officer Perkins to discuss his life and his career. Officer Perkins did not loudly call out any police injustice; however, there is some subtle context in here. He spoke of the segregation between white and Black officers, the racist behaviors he endured, how white people received far softer treatment for similar offenses, and how the frustration felt by over-policed Black people boiled over. 

This episode was produced by Donald Brittain from the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at Indiana University South Bend; and George Garner from the IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center.

Learn more about the Indiana University South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center at crhc.iusb.edu. 

Want to learn more about South Bend’s history? View the photographs and documents that helped create it. Visit Michiana Memory at http://michianamemory.sjcpl.org/. 

Title music, “History Explains Itself,” from Josh Spacek. Visit his page on the Free Music Archive, www.freemusicarchive.org.