The Black Men Should Not Be Used For Police Target Practice

Since the United States’ inception, the negative stereotypes and generalizations of African Americans have been some of the worst examples of racism that has been extremely prevalent in American culture. African American stereotypes date back all the way to colonial American times, where African American slavery was considered to be accepted and practiced. Since then, black people in America have been treated horribly for stereotypes that have deep roots in the mistreatment of black people in American history.

It is interesting to note that, if a white person is lacking whiteness, the society will not point out the flaws of the person. However, if a person of color lacks whiteness, they are automatically put in an imaginary enclosed box, where we (Americans) judge or punish them for not being like us. It could all be because of fear, so our automatic reaction could be to fight back, distance ourselves and start using discriminatory practices against them. As long as Americans hold onto these biases and create this imaginary box for people of color, we are allowing millions of people to be in danger in our name.

Over the years, our generations’ stereotypical views over the issue on young black males being viewed as dangerous has grown significantly. There are different reasons why these stereotypes occur in our society. People feel on edge when running into them in dark passageways, whenever it’s late at night. Also, while they’re sitting at red lights and notice someone walking towards their cars, they instantly initiate down the door locks. People think stereotyping black men this way keeps them safer because they assume the worst. However; other people disagree with instantly judging who they see around them, it hurts more people as well as themselves by viewing black men this way. Brent Staples, the author of “Black Men and Public Spaces,” claims that he’s considered a stereotypical black criminal. In his essay, Staples succeeds because he successfully appeals to people’s emotions, is an expert on human behavior, creates common ground and offers a logical solution.

Without a doubt, black men in the United States continue to be excessively “incarcerated, policed, and sentenced to death at significantly higher rates than their white counterparts (Kerby 2).” Portrayals in the media have depicted black men as thugs and common criminals; these negative stereotypes demoralize men of color and allow society to believe and internalize this destructive thinking. The racial disparities that exist in the criminal justice system are an indirect consequence of the portrayals of African American men that circulate in society. Because of racial disparities that occur in the United States it consequently threatens communities of color by “disenfranchising thousands by limiting voting rights and denying equal access to employment, housing, public benefits, and education to millions more (Kerby 2).”

Another common negative stereotype, establishes the African American male as intellectually inferior. Studies directed by psychologist Claude Stale, indicate that African American teenagers are aware that they are stigmatized as being intellectually inferior and the go to school bearing what psychologist Claude has called a “burden of suspicion” Such burden can affect their attitudes and achievements. These shadows hang over stigmatized people no matter their status or accomplishments. These stigmas have the potential to roll them of their individually and debilitate their attempts to break out of the stereotypical roles. Blacks are the repository for the American fear of crime. Ask anyone, of any race, to picture a criminal and the image will have a black face. The linked between blackness and criminality it’s routinized by terms such a “black-on-black crimes” or “black crimes”.

The racial stereotyping of minority groups is a prevalent problem within the United State’s criminal justice system. It is a regrettable issue which permeates American society. The young Black male, in particular, is often portrayed as a criminal based on incorrect assumptions regarding who perpetrates crime. There are several components contributing to the criminal stigma of Blacks. The way crime is conveyed by American culture is possibly as important as how crime actually functions. The widespread belief that Black males commit the majority of crime skews the view society’s perception of Blacks. Typifications of Black males include a violent, threatening, thug-like character. The connection between race and crime is so deeply seeded in

"When someone fabricates a crime and blames it on another person because of his race OR when an actual crime has been committed and the perpetrator falsely blames someone because of his race." (Russel 70) The negative image of African-Americans has become so bad that "imaginary" Black people are invented as criminals. In some cases Black individuals were even chosen out of a line

250 years of enslavement, sixty years of jim crow laws, 90 years of separate but equal clause. This country is far from acheiveing racial equality. Nearly of the top 1% are white. A black person makes less than a dollar in mininum wage compared to a white person. “Until we figure for our aggravating lesson debts, america will never make entire.”

It is widely broadcasted that African Americans are stereotyped as criminals, a partial blame is to be put on the media. The public’s inaccurate image of the

According to Staples a test lead by Harvard proves these stereotypes. The test showed that every population except for those who are black associate African-Americans with crime. Another test conducted with a simulation game showed that the test-takers were more willing to shoot black “felons” when they are holding an object(n.pag.). In extension showing that African Americans have a stereotypes that they are more violent and will most like be trouble if someone saw them on the street. A stereotype that may be true in some cases but not to all people of that race. A study conducted by a different group illustrated that when someone who was of a white race was asked to picture the image of a criminal they pictured a “black” drug addict compared to someone who was white(Staples n.pag.). Today’s modern day media as a factor in the way that people envision blacks as criminals. But white victims also tend to reinforce these stereotypes(Staples n.pag.).One test confirmed that when black and white test subjects were asked to select which pictures were “criminals” they select pictures of people with darker skin and more African-American features(Staples

There will always be negative stereotypes of low-income African Americans, but white police officers and officers of color tend to have slightly different views on the “ghetto.” Caucasian police officers often tend to think that black communities are entirely atrocious, but African American officers can see that there are both good and bad elements to this group of people. African American officers seem to moralize the class struggle between African American workers who are much like themselves, they do not let the negative views define them as a person. They have risen above their poor community and refuse to let it own them. Thus, African American officers often think that they are solely protecting the good people of the ghetto from the

Our society sometimes creates certain images and ideas that then is hard to get rid of. When we see something on television we tend to believe it. For example, media portrays a black man as a criminal, we get that image stuck in our brains, and it is what we then believe. Thus, whenever a black man is running, armed or not, they could possibly be in danger of getting shot because they could look suspicious (Cush). This image is so ingrained in our minds that even black police officers fear for their lives. A statement by an undercover detective says, “My greatest fear is being shot by a fellow cop, not by a suspect” (Cush). A black man, or anyone of color, does not deserve to be stereotyped because of the images we see on a television. Some people claim to not have a racial bias but claim there is a reason to fear someone based on race. For example, “There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life… than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start to think about robbery and then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved” (Kennedy). That man believes that he has a higher risk of being robbed by a black man than a white man, this would be true in say a place where there was a higher black population but is still unjust. Race does not dictate what people do and this is just another example of someone stereotyping a human being.

Often there is an underlying assumption that criminal activity solely comes from the African American community. Historically, African Americans have had stereotypes attributed to them on the basis of their skin color, which includes being perceived

Cops often stereotype African Americans as aggressive, violent, as well as criminal. In contrast, African Americans stereotype cops as unjust, racist and murderers. Cognitive factors of stereotyping include social categorization and the homogeneity effect. The out-group homogeneity effect is an individual’s perception of out-group member as more alike then the ones in their in-group are. For instance both groups have out-group homogeneity effect. Since both of the groups lack contact with each other they are unable to see differences in the out-group. Stereotypes of African Americans and police are maintained because neither of the groups interacts making both groups ignorant to each other’s dynamics. Some cops believe that all African Americans are violent criminals that should be punished to the highest extent. Moreover, the cognitive factor in relation to social categorization assess individuals need to assign people to specific categories based on how they see their attributes, which determines how they interact with them. This is a huge problem in our society seeing that officers group all African Americans together and interact with them all in the same way, which often leads to injustice as well as violence. The statement most police report when caught in a similar situation usually read the same that the suspect was believed to be a threat. In the trial Mehserle testified that he believed that Grant had a gun in his

There are three stereotypes offered today and taught to many: the angry black stereotype: Always pointing his finger at the rest of the world and had appeared so often that it was all that people knew. The noble Negro, who was always victimized by whites and could only be saved by the good will of other whites. And the urban outlaw stereotype, which is the violent or criminal outlaw that is most popular today. What is left out is the middle class, the people supporting a family, volunteering at school, attending church, and seeking the American dream .