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Published byMargaret Woods Modified over 8 years ago
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A very brief sketch of the historical context
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Slavery: 1620-1865 Kidnapped from Africa, considered chattel, inherited status ○ Middle passage ○ auction Abolished in the North by 1789 ○ Nation divided but expanding led to the Civil War Physically, psychologically, culturally brutal ○ Domination through violence Legal to kill a slave if he/she strikes the master ○ Illegal to teach a slave to read
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Law Enforcement & Blacks: 1870-1960 Thousands of blacks lynched with no prosecutions Laws targeting blacks returned them to plantation slavery ○ Vagrancy, “intent to gamble,” etc. ○ Convict lease system Emmit Till 1955 Beaten to death for talking to a white woman in the South. ○ White men who did it aquitted.
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Legal Segregation: 1865-1954 Laws require non-whites to live separately ○ Must sit in the back of the bus ○ Can’t buy/rent in white part of town ○ Can’t sit in white section of restaurant ○ Whites-only schools ○ Juries, police and judges are all white Plessey v. Ferguson 1892 One drop rule Legal end: Brown v. Board of Education
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De-Facto Segregation Neighborhoods change slowly Homes inherited School funding based on local property taxes so inequality continues Unequal access to goods and services based on neighborhood Employment opportunity changes slowly People comfortable hiring people like themselves Affirmative Action for women and minorities ○ Required colleges and employers who get federal money to develop a plan to bring parity to the numbers of minority and women getting admitted or hired. Not a quota system, but often challenged as such Resulted in more women doctors and more minority police
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Discriminatory Enforcement President Nixon declares a “War on Drugs” Targets blacks and “hippies,” two groups opposing him politically in the Civil Rights movement and Anti-War movement ○ Disproportionate sentencing for black & poor communities 1 in 4 black men is sent to prison in this country. Profiling potential criminals develops in this context.
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Profiling: definition & justification Suspicious person/behavior Is he/she “supposed” to be here? ○ Racially biased in white neighborhoods & businesses “Driving while black/brown” Is he/she acting unusual? ○ Cultural difference or fear of police might explain “unusual” behavior Sometimes based on “gang” attire ○ Could be personal/cultural style
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Policing Gone Wrong In 1 in 10 cases of police shootings of civilians, the victim was unarmed (2015- 2016). 1 in 3 police shootings of civilians result from a car after a traffic stop for a minor infraction. ○ Victim may be arguing or resisting, Police may be using force to get obedience, not to protect safety Huge increase of video documentation through phone cameras ○ Long-standing problem is coming to light
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A Few High Profile Cases Eric Garner, 7/14, NY Michael Brown 8/14,Ferguson, MO Anthony Hill, 3/15, GA Walter Scott, 4/15, SC Freddy Grey 4/15, Baltimore MD Samuel DuBose, 7/15 MO Jeremy Mardis, 11/15, LA Jamar Clark, 11/15, MN Philando Castile, 7/16, MN Shaun King, 7/16, FL Find them and others here: http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/controversial-police- shootings/ http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/controversial-police- shootings/
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The important questions Why is this happening? Racist or poorly trained police? Tension between civilans and police? Media hype (not really an issue)? What should be done? More training for police Hold police more accountable ○ prosecute for killings (how?) Community relations work (effective?) Demonstrations/marches ○ When does media attention change things? Something else?
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