The history of racial discrimination in America is long, intense and eventful, and is inseparably linked to the history of the country. Although nowadays the society is at the point of realizing how crucial it is to have a similar attitude towards each of its members, the issue is still relevant, because the practical actions are needed for changing the situation. Having an opportunity to overcome the problem of racism in America requires at least a thorough study of the phenomenon’s history. Also, there is a necessity to spread the knowledge of the racism’s history and discuss to ensure the next generations’ tolerance.
The issue of racism of the police is topical because the examples of lawlessness and unfair treatment of people based on their race are still relatively frequent. Moreover, many researchers continue to investigate this problem from different perspectives and angles, trying to develop a solution based on historical experience and understanding the reasons. The study conducted by Cunningham and Gillezeau has revealed that “African American uprisings in the 1960s and early 1970s lead to an immediate increase in police killings of civilians across racial groupings” (2019). Furthermore, the effects of using lethal force “Are persistent for non-whites and subside for whites.” (Cunningham and Gillezeau, 2019).
Modern research in the development of racism is mainly devoted to the unlawful experiences of non-white people or to the analytics of events that caused massive non-white deaths. One more example of articles related to the topic is the one by Brunson. He states that “Residents of disadvantaged communities have a risk of experiencing direct and indirect contact with the police because of the aggressive crime-control strategies to which they are exposed.” (2007). Additionally, 60% of young men said that almost always it is hard to talk to the police, 50% claimed the police are often impolite, half said the police are seldom polite (Brunson, 2007). The study described people’s attitude to police, and the results showed that many people are afraid of them due to the possibility of their unpredictable violating actions instead of protection.
Consequently, racial profiling cannot be left unnoticed in this discussion. Seigel highlights that police structures’ members became so willing to show their force due to their historical development – the governmental stimulation and encouragement of young people to join police (2017). The study describes how changing strategies from imperial and domestic affected the police tactics even in peacetime (Seigel, 2017). In particular, people’s attitude to police was changing “when young soldiers become career police or when police are sent abroad to ‘pacify’ defeated peoples.” (Seigel, 2017). This means that there were governmental policy-caused factors in addition to personal reasons, which contributed to the development of police injustice.
The idea I would like to emphasize is that the history of a disrespectful attitude of the police towards different social groups, including African Americans, is long-lasting and full of frightening examples. The key facts, which could help solve the problem may be in its history. At least, remembering everything that has been done makes us more tolerant and open-minded. It is commonly assumed that the roots of today’s racism-connected protests go back to 1968’s chaos, but in fact, they go far deeper into American history (Sugrue, 2020). The first wave of racial uprisings appeared at the beginning of the XX century, “culminating in the so-called Red Summer of 1919,” when dozens of massacres and riots occurred (Sugrue, 2020). In other words, the protests, in the beginning, were associated with police and were caused by both non-white people and the police.
The idea of police brutality has been in people’s minds for much longer than it is usually assumed. In 1929 the Illinois Crime Survey was published, which revealed that 30% of victims of police killings were African American, while they “made up just five percent of the area’s population” (Nodjimbadem, 2020). Combining with the present situation, when people still have to worry about how to protect themselves if they are not white, “We need to dismantle the whole system and rebuild it again” (Samaria Rice, The Guardian, 2020). This can be explained by the condition of the situation, which has not drastically improved in the last 10 or 20 years, meaning the changes should be more prominent.
The importance of researching such substantial topics for society is evident to me. Looking for information on injustice, inequity, and intolerance connected with racism is beneficial for any student because it is crucial to understand the problem deeply to find salvation. Regarding my personal life, this research will have a positive effect. For instance, I would never do anything offensively in connection with my attitude and behavior towards people of different races.
However, now this is supported by knowing what they may have experienced. Furthermore, I would pay closer attention to all the cases of police interacting with African Americans that I witness to be sure there is no violation of their rights. Additionally, I would try to contribute to the spreading of tolerable views on all the society members by, for example, sharing my thought on the topic with my friends and acquaintances.
Concerning my professional life, the effect would be as strong. I would try to prevent injustice towards African Americans and be more helpful to them if they need it. The main thing about racism problems for me is the difference in our readiness to help people with different skin colors. To avoid the problem, I would do my best to approach all the society members without any exceptions equally. Such an attitude would help solve more problems than just racism if it was applied globally. In the end, the best way of applying information on such topics is using it in one’s everyday practice and providing it with the opportunity to spread further.
To conclude, I would like to emphasize that racial intolerance and injustice, along with the violence of the police, are causing numerous problems for society. The long history of police and African Americans’ relationships is not a positive example yet, although many measures are being undertaken. Thus, looking back at the history of such a terrible from a human perspective phenomenon, we should learn from the previous experience and individually and collectively contribute to the maintenance of peace.
References
Brunson, R. K. (2007). Police don’t like black people: African-American young men’s accumulated police experiences. Criminology & Public Policy, 6(1), 71–101. Web.
Cunningham, J. P., & Gillezeau, R. (2019). Don’t shoot! The impact of historical African American protest on police killings of civilians. Journal of Quantitative Criminology. Web.
Laughland, O. (2020). US police have a history of violence against black people. Will it ever stop? The Guardian. Web.
Nodjimbadem, K. (2017). The long, painful history of police brutality in the U.S. Smithsonian Magazine. Web.
Seigel, M. (2017). The dilemma of “racial profiling”: an abolitionist police history. Contemporary Justice Review, 20(4), 474–490. Web.
Surgue, T. J. (2020). 2020 is not 1968: To understand today’s protests, you must look further back. National Geographic. Web.