“I can’t breath”, “Hands up don’t shoot”, “Black Lives Matter” are all recent but widely known chants across the world. The institution of policing in the United States of America is corrupt by nature. The Law Dictionary states, “Police brutality is the excessive and/or unnecessary force by police when dealing with civilians” (Danilina, pg.1). The use of excessive force is a reoccurring issue within the police departments. Historically, police brutality occurred during slavery. When slaves were caught trying to run away, some received excessive force including whippings, lynching’s, and having their ears clipped. used on them. Today, police brutality still occurs, including cases like Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, Sandra Bland, etc. The brutality …show more content…
Racism and discrimination has been a problem since Africans were forced to board the ships coming to America. According to Robertson and Chaney, authors of Racism and Police Brutality in America (2013), racism is, “racism is an ideology, or belief system, designed to justify and rationalize racial and ethnic inequality” and discrimination is defined as, “discrimination, most basically, is behavior aimed at denying members of particular ethnic groups’ equal access to societal rewards” (pg. 57). The following terms are important to define because they provide a lens which helps us see the racist and discriminatory practices of law enforcement …show more content…
“94% of people stopped had committed no offense” (Cooper, 12). African Americans were tired of being questioned because the color of their skin is brown. Rappers used their platforms to musically express their frustrations. N.W.A., a famous Hip Hop music group used their own music to share their experiences. Ice Cube raps, “ Searching my car, lookin’ for the product thinkin’ every nigga is sellin’ narcotics. And not the other color, so police think they have the authority to kill a minority. Fuck that shit, ‘cause I ain’t the one for a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun” (N.W.A., 1988). Ice Cube describes his experience with the police searching his car and killing other African Americans for no reason. However, he states that he is not the one to mess with, he doesn’t respect the police and he will never be afraid of them. Whether it be regular people or artist, the police still harassed and terrorized the same colored people in the same neighborhoods for
Despite the passing of the Civil Rights Act and Affirmative Action, racism evolved from the blatant discrimination of the 1960s like segregation, to the slightly more passive racism of the 1990s such as unfair arrests/jail time (Taylor). Curtis’ writes three decades after the aforementioned progress and yet, looking back on the 90s, there is an alarming amount of similarities between the two.
Institutional racism, maintains the unequal outcomes in the criminal justice system result from the practice, resides in the policies, procedures, operations and culture of public or private institutions – reinforcing individual prejudices and being reinforced by them in turn’(Sveinsson, n.d.). This approach was generated by the Macpherson report, Stephen Lawrence, a young black
What has changed since the collapse of Jim Crow has less to do with the basic structure of our society than with the language we use to justify it. In the era of colorblindness, it is no longer socially permissible to use race, explicitly, as a justification for discrimination, exclusion, and social contempt. So we don’t. Rather than directly rely on race, we use the criminal justi...
Police brutality has been an apparent mark on the struggles, trials, and tribulations of people of minorities for years, primarily Black people. From the times of slavery to the present unlawful targeting and murders of black citizens with no justification, police brutality has been an enema in Black American culture for hundreds of years. Seen both in James Baldwin’s “Going to Meet the Man” and in the current happenings of the United States. The hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” has been a focal point in the current struggle for equality of the races. The current outpouring of support for black lives and
Since the beginning of colonization, America has been controlled by religiously and ethically diverse whites. The most profound cases of racism in the “United” States of America have been felt by Native Americans, Asians, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Muslims. Major racially structured institutions include; slavery, settlement, Indian reservations, segregation, residential schools, and internment camps (Racism in the U.S., 1). Racism has been felt and seen by many in housing, the educational system, places of employment, and the government. Discrimination was largely criminalized in the mid 20th century, and at the same time became socially unacceptable and morally repugnant (Racism in the U.S., 1). Although racism was
Since then it has become a rallying call to African-Americans all over the nation and has been the cause of several demonstrations turned riot, the most infamous of these taking place in Ferguson, Missouri. (Sidner-Simon, The Rise of Black Lives Matter: Trying to break the cycle of violence and silence) As these potentially violent demonstrations are something to be wary of, the Black Lives Matter group has taken to policing themselves. Why not let the police do it? It is their job after all. The answer to that question lies yet again in Ferguson, Missouri. After severe rioting in Ferguson, law enforcement officers have come to fear the “Ferguson effect.” It is this fear that has kept them from doing their jobs by avoiding violent confrontations which has potentially caused them to no longer effectively do their jobs.(Buchanan, Blue Lives Matter) This response to violence with violence is what has shaped our police force, this is what has kept both officers and the general public safe. If these officers can no longer confidently do their job, then society as a whole could very well be at risk from
In the United States, racial discrimination has a lengthy history, dating back to the biblical period. Racial discrimination is a term used to characterize disruptive or discriminatory behaviors afflicted on a person because of his or her ethnic background. In other words, every t...
Police Officers use to be the people we stand by to feel safe in dangerous situations now, we seem to find ourselves in dangerous situations when around these government officials. Police Brutality has become such a critical topic to speak upon. Throughout the years, police brutality has become more and more of a concern to citizens. People of color are more concerned about becoming victims of this abuse than any other group. I believe that police brutality existed for many, many, years but it is only now that the truth is being brought out to the open. There are a few well known cases about police brutality. It can be hidden for a while, the media can continue to try and sugar coat it all but eventually the statistics will speak for itself.
Many artist and groups in hip hop groups like N.W.A and Ice-T had ties to gang activities and spoke violence in their songs. Many hip hop groups during this time played songs that were considered to be “gangsta rap” songs. Gangsta rap was not only about the music but it was about the lifestyle and “thug’ attitude. “Between 1984 and 1994 the homicide rate for black males aged 18 to 24 doubled compared to years prior” (Robinson). Violence and police brutality towards blacks was big in hip hop during the 1980’s and 1990’s, like it is today. Many black hip hop artist and fans felt that they were being targeted and treated differently by police compared to whites in American because of their skin color and what neighborhood they lived in. In 1988 N.W.A song Fuck The Police came out and the song title speaks for itself in how N.W.A felt towards the police, “I’m brown and not the other color so police think they have the authority to kill a minority”. This song spoke to minorities in America who felt this way towards
In today’s society, police officers are very cautious on how much force they can use on a suspect due to the police brutality going on right now. Police brutality is defined as the use of force exceeding what is necessary, many people argue that there should be new policies to determine how much force a police officer can use and also have laws that will convict officers who have killed people by using too much force, so that there is less incidents in the future.
Some police throughout the years have been very violent towards black citizens, even other discriminations such as hippies. In the movie “Straight Outta Compton” police were known for picking on black people because they were dressed as “thugs”. Police brutality back in the 1980’s lead to NWA making a song called “Fuck The Police”. When the police heard the song as it was being played on the radio, they pleasantly
Alang, Sirry, and Opinion contributor. “How to Dismantle Racism and Prevent Police Brutality.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 12 May 2017, www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/policing/2017/05/12/how-dismantle-racism-and-prevent-police-brutality/101481438/.
Racism can be defined as "any set of beliefs, which classifies humanity into distinct collectives, defined in terms of natural and/or cultural attributes, and ranks these attributes in a hierarchy of superiority and inferiority" (Blum 5). It can be directly linked to the past and still, centuries later, serves as a painful reminder that race continues to be one of the "sharpest and deepest divisions in American life" (Loewen 138). What were the causes of racism? How did it develop historically? In order to answer those complex questions, I plan to examine the conditions of America's history from colonialism to present day society. It was these conditions of America's past that promoted the development of racist practices and ideas that continue to be embraced by many to this day.
Racist and racism are provocative words in American society. To some, they become curse words. They are descriptive words of reality that cannot be denied. Some people believe that race is the primary determinant of human abilities and capacities and behave as if racial differences produce inherent superiorities. People of color are often injured by these judgements and actions whether they are directly or indirectly racist. Just as individuals can act in racist ways, so can institutions. Institutions can be overtly or inherently racist. Institutions can also injure people. The outcome is nonetheless racist, if not intentional (Randall).
Police brutality is an act that often goes unnoticed by the vast majority of white Americans. This is the intentional use of “excessive force by an authority figure, which oftentimes ends with bruises, broken bones, bloodshed, and sometimes even death” (Harmon). While law-abiding citizens worry about protecting themselves from criminals, it has now been revealed that they must also keep an eye on those who are supposed to protect and serve.