Sandra Bland : Black America 's Little Dark Secret Essay

As I witnessed the videos and sound recordings of the police killings of these Black youth: Trayvon Martin, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Darnisha Harris, I, too, lost hope for racial equality and developed a fear of law enforcement that still exists to this day. These emotions are quite common amongst Black youth, yet the presence of such is

“From that point on,” after witnessing the body—and Mamie’s courage—“Mississippi began to move” (Bush 3). On July 2nd 1964, John F. Kennedy signed the civil rights act into law. Now, This was meant to be a turning point in history and the act of gunning down a black youth became a staple case of racism considering it was the case that led to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act. However, within the emergence of this new racism, “African American males between the ages of 15 and 34 comprised more than 15% of all deaths logged in 2015 by investigation into the use of deadly force by police” (Swaine 1) even though African American males only make up 2% of the population. From Emmett Till’s gunning down in 1955 to Walter Scott’s in 2015, we are witnessing history repeat itself when America can clearly see, “of course the evidence is not there, but we are still claiming skin color was not a factor” (Crump 2). The city of North Charleston, S.C., was all too willing to accept the officer’s version of events, even though the physical evidence clearly showed that the officer had landed four out of eight bullets in Scott’s

I commence with this anecdote for several reasons one of which is to humbly acknowledge my unique, and privileged position as a Black female scholar in the midst of a war waged against Black bodies. Another reason is to recognize police brutality as a national endemic that plagues Black communities, unveiling remnants of anti-Black racism that legitimately suppresses the lives of Blacks in America . The non-indictments in each case concerning the sanctioned murder of Black youths evoke a

Racial injustice against people of colour is an immense, ongoing issue that has not only targeted lives but has also taken many innocent lives. In America, these racial divisions date back to the days of slavery, where black people were denied of their basic human rights because of discrimination. In present day, some individuals view America as a post-racial environment, due to such victories as electing a black president; but the brutal, fatal and unjust events in Ferguson, Missouri prove that these divisions are still present. On August 9th, 2014, an unarmed, 18 year old black teen was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. The events that led to the death of Michael Brown occurred on an early morning where Mr. Wilson stopped Michael Brown and a friend after leaving a convenience store. An altercation occurred which prompted Mr. Brown to flee and officer Wilson to begin shooting. The death of Mr. Brown caused the city to stand up against police brutality through peaceful protest, looting, and even violence, to gain justice for Mr. Brown and his family. As the protests grew, the police used military tactics such as, tear gas, to “maintain order” during the unrest of the city. In recent, news the grand jury decided that Officer Darren Wilson was not responsible for the death of Michael Brown, which led to a larger public outrage not only in America, but also across the

All across the nation, in the news the black community has been making their voice heard, in regards to white police brutality, and murder against the unarmed black community. Many of these brutal attacks and flat out murders of unarmed black people haven’t been largely prosecuted, some officers have even been acquitted of any wrong doing or murder. This has led to outrage in the African American community at large. The shooting of an unarmed black teen named Michael Brown caused the racial strain in this country to break.

Police brutality is becoming a trend in America. Tensions among the public and especially the African American community are rising due to the latest cases of police brutality. Many people believe that we have come far in this society but to be honest Racism is still a factor. The use of brutal and lethal force by some police officers leading to unnecessary deaths have African American parents on edge to send their children outside for anything. Law enforcement and people whom we trust with our lives are the very same to take it. Some people may want to argue that these cases such as the shooting of Michael brown and choking of Eric Garner are isolated incidents. Others would argue that the work of a police officer is too difficult and that sometimes an officer needs to use such force in order to enforce the law and protect him/herself while on duty. Law enforcement proclaims to feel threatened however what about the civilians who feel threatened of becoming the next target or victim of prey. The society is well aware that not all police commit these crimes and that we do still have law abiding officers. However, with the effort from everyone we can eradicate the bad apples and create a safer road for the officers and civilians.

I and a community of others are outraged that Zimmernan was initially interviewed and let go with no charges filed more than six weeks after the shooting, Zimmerman still had not been charged with a crime, igniting a national outcry over what many considered to be state-sanctioned vigilantism. For many African-Americans the case had even deeper implications: Trayvon Martin, who had no criminal record, had been doing nothing more suspicious than walking. Many saw his death as another tragic example of racial profiling, the latest in a seemingly endless succession of unarmed Black men shot for appearing suspicious: Robbie Tolan, who survived being shot in his Bellaire, Texas, driveway in 2009 by a cop who thought he was trying to steal his own car; Amadou Diallo, shot and killed in 1999 in the Bronx when police mistook his wallet for a gun; Sean Bell, killed in 2008 on his wedding day in Queens, New York, by cops who thought he had a gun; Oscar Grant III, fatally shot by an Oakland transit cop on New Year's Day in 2009 while restrained and on the ground; and now Trayvon, with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea in his possession, shot dead on a Florida street.(Amber, 2012)

A young man’s brutal death at the hands of the police is found justified in a court of law due to his “suspicious” appearance: a black hoodie and his hands in his pocket. An elderly woman is fatally shot in her home for her relation to a suspected criminal. A married man with two toddlers is choked to death after a minor traffic stop by an officer who later claimed that his unarmed victim was wielding a gun. These people all have a few commonalities: the color of their skin, their presumed guilt at first sight, and their ultimate unjustified death administered by the law force. These are not uncommon occurrences. Due to the staggeringly disproportionate rate of African-Americans killed by the police, and the underlying rampant racial profiling, police brutality towards blacks in America must be called to light.

On July 13, 2015, Sandra Bland committed suicide in Waller County Jail in Hempstead, Texas. Bland was an African-American, and was subject to police brutality. A few days before her death, the police placed Bland in jail as a result of traffic confrontation that did escalate to violence. Her incident with the police is a prime example of the racism that goes on today. Though policies were passed to combat acts of prejudice against blacks, there is always an underlying hatred towards African-Americans that continues to manifest itself. This is because racism in its social has not been as combated, which causes people to continue to live in a continuing era of white supremacy. The better-treatment of white people, causes black people to live

“Black lives matter!” We have been hearing this, on the news, on social media, and in protests for years now. However, it has become more frequently heard in the past few months following the highly publicized Sandra Bland stop and arrest. Sandra Bland was stopped by Officer Brian Encinia on July 10, 2015, allegedly for not signaling a turn. This stop went wrong almost instantly. She was found deceased in a jail cell on July 13, 2015, an alleged suicide. While there are several ethical issues regarding this case, both parties involved were responsible. While the officers’ actions seem to be the actions that are focused on most, some of Bland’s actions should also be considered when viewing the issues raised. The actions of both parties involved

Police brutality is a major issue in today’s society. Many African Americans tend to avoid the police for that very reason. A campaign was started in 2012 against police brutality and the unfair treating of African Americans entitled, Black Lives Matter. This movement was met with controversy as well as support from the American people. This movement has followed several controversial police brutality cases in the United States including, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Sandra Bland. All African American and all killed in the presence of a police officer, with no convictions. These three cases have been some of the biggest cases in the Black Lives Matter campaign. This campaign is determined to make sure that Black lives are treated just as equally as white live and Hispanic lives, because black lives matter

“That’s one pain that will never go away until the day you die,” she said. “You have to live with that pain. There’s no closure. There’s no nothing. Especially when the person or child was so violently taken away from you.” said Juanita Young, mother of Malcom Ferguson, who 's son was killed by the result of police brutality. He is not the first or last person of the black minority to be cheated by the justice system. Today it is perfectly legal to discriminate against criminals in nearly all the ways that it was once legal to discriminate against African Americans(Alexander). The justice system in America was set up to protect citizens while upholding social control and deterring crime. But the poor guidance within the system has caused racial disparities to persist at every level of the U.S. criminal justice system. All across the country, African Americans receive racial discrimination in the justice system ranging from bias drug arrests, police brutality, to incarceration.

Many Americans are getting accustomed to waking up and seeing news reports of African Americans being slain by those who are supposed to protect and serve. Roxane Gay is a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times and often writes articles on the imperfections America has. On July 24, 2015 Gay wrote “On the Death of Sandra Bland and Our Vulnerable Bodies” an article that speaks on the death of Sandra Bland like many others. Gay believes “The greatest lies perpetrated on our culture today is the notion that dash cameras on police cruisers and body cameras on police officers are tools of justice” Gay declares that Video evidence from dash cameras; body suits; even cellphones cannot truly show the injustice established upon African Americans

Here are my conclusion and claims, and please feel free to attack my statements with proof.

I am pleased that we are all speaking out against the injustice that happened to Sandra Bland. Some of us may be reluctant to speak out, because we are afraid of repercussions from our jobs; we might be offending our white friends; or we may think that this problem will go away if we refuse to address it. However, we cannot sit by quietly and allow police brutality toward mainly black citizens to continue. All black people should know that if we are in the wrong place at the wrong time, we, too, could be victims of police brutality. Nevertheless, there were no “rhyme or reason” why Sandra Bland should have been lock in a jail for a minor traffic stop. Some of us might say that she should have followed the officer’s commands, but when we