African Americans have been associated with crime for quite some time. It was not until some in the 1970’s and early 1980s that the popular stereotype of the young black man evolved in the eyes of many from a petty thief or rapist into the notorious , malicious criminal predators, or what Kathery Russel ( 2002) has argued, is the world recognized “ criminalblackman”. Within the last few decades there have been controversial law enforcement practices of racial profiling. Law enforcement officials pursue minorities in an attempt to increase the likely hood of catching illegal activity or the predetermined act of illegal activity, which is part of a consequence from the racial profiling that the media has inflicted upon society. The questionable practices has led to negative effects on blacks. To the African American culture law officials are deemed more criminal or more of a threat than what the media and statistics has condemned blacks to be. The after math, after the many years of harassment, African Americans have a feeling of fear instead of protection when law officials are involved, which have led to many states of confusions and even violence, in many cases killing one another, seriously injuring an individual or sometimes unorthodox actions . For example, Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard Professor, arrested for exiting his home through his back door, due to his front door being damaged. Officer officials received a 911 call about a breaking into at his address. Louis noticed the officer at his front door. The officer explained what happened and the 911 call, so Louis present his Harvard Professor Id and a valid driver’s license, both stating his actual address and that he was the owner of the home. Louis was still arrested on his front porch and was imprisoned for four hours in jail for something that was rightfully his own. Another example, barbers Kevin Gordon, Ronald Jones and Raymond Barnes sued Riverside County, California, in 2009 claiming authorities conducted racially targeted, illegal searches of black barbershops. Law officials invaded private areas without a search warrant nor any particular reason, only a hidden intent to find illegal activity being committed with these barber shops. In 2011, they received justice and won their civil case, due to the unwarranted searches being illegal. These acts are seemingly what is to be expected but there is a hidden intent behind them and that is racial profiling and stereotyping.
Statistics
Due to our culture’s information centers or the media, most of society has viewed African Americans as menaces to society. The perceptions are due to the many other factors, but mainly the media’s information, since public knowledge of crime and justice is mainly derived from the media. One study shows that blacks are more likely than any other ethnic to be characterized as violent, to abuse drugs, as and more likely to commit a crime than whites (Sigelman, & Tuch, 1996). More studies and surveys convey that whites believe black are more prone to violence, as in the general social survey in 1990. The belief that blacks are the source of crime is arguably believed to be the truth in most cases, further prove that racial profiling will most likely fall upon a black person than anyone other ethnic group. These researches only prove that stereotypes of blacks are alive and well and still existing in today’s society. After accumulated researches, reviewing the information provided by the FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation, more arrest fell under whites more than blacks. Many of the statics outweigh the black community vs the white community, but according to statics and how information is twisted by the media it is still believed that blacks are more likely to commit a crime than whites or anyone else, and more likely to be arrested. All of these acts and statics lead to the another factor black Americans suffer with the most, which also plays a role from the racial profiling and stereotyping, and that is punishment due to crimes committed.
Punishment and judgment delivered by the law have seemed to be somewhat unjust when it comes to African Americans. Studies on race and sentencing have shown that blacks, mainly black men, are sentenced more severely than any other ethnic group (Maur, 1999). Research on the treatment of the defendants in court show that prosecutors sometimes take advantage the racial stereotypes by generalizing blacks as discriminately prone to violent criminality, thus resulting in higher convictions rates (Higginbotham, 2002). These practices are still continuing for these related cases because of the outcomes being a positive on their end, the well-being of another side is none of their concern. This is another twist, once the public sees such a large amount of those convicted and sentenced by the court house are black, the message that is being subconsciously delivered is that blacks and crimes are un-doubly true and closely related. Thus, contributing to the factors of racial profiling and stereotyping, while trials involving whites are more lenient and flexible with sentencing. With cases and actions proceeding as they are now in society, another stereotype has risen from the twists of information and trials. The stereotype that every black man is most likely to go to prison. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in the black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime. This is true because blacks have a disproportionate amount of involvement with officer officials, it only takes common sense to realize, since blacks are mainly targeted suspects it is only the result of the pursuit of blacks. Statics are completely bias and common sense is not commonly found in the involvement of statistic numbers, because of these numbers or I would say planned acts, black Americans have a harder time advancing to a higher state of consciousness, when many actually want to succeed in life.
The media is a direct window for viewing all acts of racial profiling, stereotyping, criminal justice system, and the portrayal of African American involvements in these systems. The media has the power to aid or construct the meaning of race in society, so it is obvious that they play a significant role in defining blacks of America as criminals or worst, which is presented to viewers and readers. Research on the media influence as shown that blacks are more likely to appear as criminally threating on local news and television, suggesting that this may aid in the comparison of threat in relation to blacks (Chiricos & Escholz, 2002). To the audiences who are mildly informed usually give into these types of media. There is a point where the viewers tend to become what they hear or see in the media. They begin to characterize most of the blacks of Americas just as depicted from the information given to them by the media. Malcom X once said “The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses”, Malcom X’s quote was as accurate as could be. The masses the media controls believe the depictions of blacks in America are entirely true.
There are many sources that attribute to racial profiling and stereotyping. America is too diverse of a country to have hatred between one another, especially with a race matter. There have been many cases of violent acts or unreasonable actions that could have been prevented if the system was focused on equality instead of segregating individuals. Crime has no color, it has no age, and it targets everyone. I do not believe in the system that has been instill in the minds of many Americans and nor do I support anything that advocates it. The lives of children and adults have been lost due to these stereotypes and profiling. The life of Travon Martin and Mike Brown have been targets and victims of these accusations. These were very sensitive cases that have caused a divide once again between both black and white but in some cases people have drawn closer together into noticing acts of this manner is wrong. There are more things in jeopardy other than the wellbeing of another’s mind; eventually society itself will be against one another in a racial war that would never end. There is always tension between people, it is as if we cannot talk about topics such as these because a possibility of upsetting one of the two. The media feeds both sides with rage, so there is always one side of a story that will only be accepted by the consumer. Objections to either sides of the stories lead to conflicts, which people tend to stay away from these delicate topics. This is where the subconscious attack takes place separating our minds from each other. To advance and to be educated both sides have to come as one to truly understand the effects of racial profiling and stereotyping.
Works Cited
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