Black Lives Matter advocate from Pflugerville pursues career in law enforcement
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - Princess Reeves, a Black Lives Matter advocate from Pflugerville is pursuing a career in law enforcement.
The 21-year-old woman is about to begin her final semester at Colorado State University at Colorado Springs. After she graduates in December she says she will become a police officer.
“I think it’s important because if we’re not willing to step in, who is gonna fix it?” said Reeves, whose long term goal is to become a homicide detective.
She tells FOX 7 Austin becoming a detective has been her lifelong goal. She aims to bring families closure and to “help my people end up not getting killed on the streets.”
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Reeves first spoke with FOX 7 Austin in early June, at the Austin Justin Coalitions “Black Austin Rally & March for Black Lives.”
“The system that we have in America, it’s not designed for us. It’s designed for white people and I wanna be able to go into the system and make a change and help my people,” she said at the march.
Reeves says her decision to pursue a career in law enforcement has drawn some criticism.
“They view me as siding with white people and siding with the oppressor and that’s not the case at all. If anything, I’m siding with my people and fighting for my people in every way, shape I can.”
Reeves says she supports “defunding” the police.
“The more we continue to fund the police the more power they get. When we take that away it shows we want less power and more money into other places, such as education and housing,” she explained.
Reeves says many people have tried to convince her to pursue an alternative career path.
“Despite everything that’s going on I’m still going to protect no matter what. I’m still going to be the best officer that I can be and we need more black women and black men in authoritative figures.”
She says she hopes to break down the stigma surrounding black men and women pursuing careers in law enforcement.
“Your skin tone doesn’t define how people view you and if you feel like you can take on the world, then you take on the world,” she said.