Public defender Toussaint Romain talks Charlotte protests and peace
If you were watching CNN last Wednesday night as demonstrators took to Charlotte’s uptown streets, you may have seen him: White dress shirt, striped tie, standing between a barricade of police in riot gear and emotional protesters.
His name is Toussaint Romain, 39, and he’s a Charlotte public defender. He has walked with protesters every night since Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by police last Tuesday afternoon. He joined us on this week’s episode of the CharlotteFive Podcast.
As a lawyer and someone who also walked with protesters following the Randall Kerrick trial in the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell, Toussaint brings a unique perspective to this important conversation about what’s happening in Charlotte and how the city can move forward.
Romain was at the gym working out after teaching a class at UNC Charlotte when he saw news of the protests on Tuesday. His car was parked near where the protests were happening on Old Concord Road.
He walked over to the protest, hoping to help keep it peaceful. The next day, CNN broadcast images of him trying to keep the peace around the world. He talked to us about why he wanted to join the protest and what it was like to actually be out there with the demonstrators, compared to how some media portrayed the events.
Also on the podcast this week, we had a conversation with Charlotte Observer reporter Katie Peralta, one of the many reporters who has been covering the protests over the past week. We talked about her experiences and the media’s role in the demonstrations.
You may not agree with everything you hear on this week’s podcast, but we think it’s important to start these conversations in our city. We hope you come into this week’s episode with an open mind and really listen to what Romain and Peralta have to say.
The CharlotteFive Podcast — presented by The Charlotte Observer and powered by OrthoCarolina — is a weekly podcast that aims to get you Charlotte Smart, Fast with fun, interesting and useful news about the city. It’s hosted by Corey Inscoe and Sarah Crosland.
You can find The CharlotteFive Podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow us on Twitter @Charlotte_Five, on Instagram @cltfive, and on Facebook, and you can shoot us an email to charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
Photo: Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 1:02 AM with the headline "Public defender Toussaint Romain talks Charlotte protests and peace."