Blackberry in a Field of Blue: I See You

Authors

Keywords:

self-reflection, culture, policing, race

Abstract

Self-reflections are educational, therapeutic, and introspective of one’s place in the world. They allow navigation of personal identity. Self-narratives are more than individual stories or personal reconstructions of self-history. They illustrate how personal performances are understood by the author and their audiences—they have broader meaning. Instead of sanitized research devoid of feeling, self-reflection allows for emotional investment–based exploration. “Blackberry in a Field of Blue: I See You” is a self-reflection on my career as a Black cop, the ups and downs that come with policing from the perspective of a Black cop, and the performances of identity within a police subculture. It challenges the lack of representation of police culture through a racial lens and is about the relevance of lessons learned meant to inspire others to tell their stories.

Author Biography

Vance D. Keyes, Tarrant County College

Vance D. Keyes, PhD is Adjunct – Sociology, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, TX (vance.keyes@tccd.edu).

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Keyes, V. D. (2025). Blackberry in a Field of Blue: I See You. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 31(2), 44–59. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/2085

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Section

General Submissions