The subject of police violence is rocking America once again.
Along with the headlines, along with the confusion, anger, and sadness that comes with another set of violent tragedies comes a lot of numbers: the number of people killed by police, how many of them were unarmed, how many were resisting arrest, how many were black.
But what about their names? The names of these victims can all too easily fade into a blur of statistics, data, and cold facts. But these are people, not numbers, and their lives shouldn't be reduced to the worst thing that ever happened to them.
We shouldn't forget the names. Behind those names were real people. None of them were perfect, and some were deeply troubled, but they were human beings with ambitions, families, quirks, passions, and personality — and that's how their communities and loved ones will always remember them.
If you're feeling lost, here are 11 names we shouldn't forget, all from the first half of 2016:
1. Philando Castile, 34. Killed in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on July 6.
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2. Alton Sterling, 37. Killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5.
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3. Jay Anderson, 25. Killed in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, on June 23.
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4. Ollie Lee Brooks, 64. Killed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 28.
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5. Michael Moore, 19. Killed in Mobile, Alabama, on June 13.
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6. Michael Eugene Wilson, 27. Killed in South Florida on May 22.
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7. Lionel Gibson, 21. Killed in Long Beach, California, on May 8.
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8. Kimani Johnson, 18. Killed in Baltimore on April 1.
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9. Jessica Nelson Williams, 29. Killed in San Fransisco on May 19.
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10. Peter Gaines, 35. Killed in Houston on March 12.
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11. David Joseph, 17. Killed in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 8.
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These 11 people make up a small fraction of the police violence in America that overwhelmingly affects black men.
For more information on these incidents, as well as the hundreds of other incidents of police violence that have occurred this year, visit this online database from the Washington Post.