Back Again Fixing Brake Lights
On September 5, I attended and supported a free Brake Light Repair Event on Chicago’s South Side hosted by Community Renewal Society (CRS) partner, the Free2Move Coalition. As part of the event, I helped repair vehicles alongside other organizers while connecting with residents about the importance of safe, reliable transportation and the right to move freely throughout the city. Together, we repaired more than 18 vehicles and used the event as an opportunity to raise awareness about the ongoing campaign to end pretextual traffic stops in the city. The day combined hands-on community service with public education, creating space for residents to receive practical support, share their experiences with traffic stops and police enforcement, and take part in broader community action.
This work represents a pivotal step toward moving Chicago along the road to a smarter and more racially equitable system of traffic safety. Although traffic stops decreased in 2024, the numbers remain unacceptably high. More than 80% of the Chicago Police Department’s traffic stops involve drivers of color, and most stops are for minor violations like brake lights and headlights rather than dangerous driving. Black and Latino drivers are also four to five times more likely to be asked to consent to a vehicle search than other drivers. Chicago residents should not have to continue enduring racially discriminatory tactics that focus on low-level violations instead of real threats to public safety.
The event also connected directly to the Justice for Dexter Reed campaign, which highlights the harms of pretextual traffic stops and the ways these practices disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities in Chicago. Dexter Reed’s killing remains a painful example of how a pretextual traffic stop can escalate into a life-altering encounter. By repairing brake lights and speaking with community members, we brought residents into the work of challenging discriminatory policing practices and advancing a more just vision of community safety while adding a little more peace of mind when driving on the road.
Biliah Mandela Castleberry
Community Organizer