Written By Chika Ezeigbo
An uproar of anger has taken hold on all media after the shocking and unjust killings of two african american men. Amaud Arbery, a man jogging and shot by Gregory and Travis McMichael under false suspicion, and George Floyd, an innocent man who died by the hands of Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis policeman.This is understandable considering African Americans are 2.5x more like to be killed by a police officer than a white person. At the time of their death, America started going under lockdown, putting Americans in a position where sharing a post or two for awareness isn’t enough,instead they started to go out and actually protest the streets, and protest they did. There are an estimated 15 to 26 million people who have participated in protests across America, this is a hopeful step towards a more equal and just future as people have started real conversations about racial injustice and the police's involvement.
The Pew Research Center has released multiple surveys that compare how white Americans view race and inequality in their country. In dealing with the police 50% of whites say blacks are treated less fairly in the country compared to the 84% of blacks that agreed. When talking about the attention toward race and racial issues, in the U.S. 41% of whites say there is too much attention while 28% says there is just enough attention, compared to blacks in which they responded with 22% and 17% respectively.The last survey I will mention is how blacks and whites view racism, 19% of whites say that discrimination is built into laws and institutions while 70% say it’s based on the prejudice of the individuals.In retrospect 40% of blacks say it’s built into laws and institutions while 48% say it’s based on the prejudice of the individuals.
The words “defund the police” have been circulating around the media, due to the belief that the police force is rooted in racism and does not aim to protect African Americans. It is true that from the very beginning injustice towards African Americans is ingrained in these institutions,and it’s been happening since the 1600s. The U.S., under British control, used a watchmen system to patrol communities and maintain order. With the slave population increasing there was a growing need to suppress and prevent enslaved blacks from rising against their owners or running away, and consequently, slave patrols were made to protect white “wealth”.
With the abolition of slavery in 1865, slave patrols were gone and a more modern police departments became common. They were heavily regulated specifically in areas with black codes(restrictive laws designed to restrict African American freedom) or laws that restricted property ownership, employment, etc. The Klu Klux Klan is notorious for the terrorizization of African Americans and lynching them with government officials and law enforment assisting and taking part in these brutal acts of injustice. When African Americans started protesting for equal rights, guess who was there to block them at every turn?
Photo from CNN
When African Americans started to gain more rights, lawmakers wanted to look for a way to criminalize the community, so in 1971, the Nixon administration pushed the war on drugs. This resulted in an exponential amount of arrest and harsh prison sentences towards African Americans. The Clinton administration's 1994 crime bill did not help by aiding in the arrest of citizens in black communities. The three main things that were introduced into the criminal justice system by this bill were, the three strikes mandatory sentencing, money to hire new officers, and almost $10 billion in funding prisons. Through this 34% of inmates identify as only African American or Black, but the United States only consists of 13%. This statistic is important because it has disrupted the black power structure, specifically in families. Individuals of power knew that black families provided a strong sense of community, in ripping apart families, they suppressed the African American community.
With all this newfound information you may ask yourself, well how can I help? The three things you, as an american citizen can help fight the rising injustice and inequality growing in your beloved country. Is to first educate yourself, learn more about racism and white supremacy and how they interact with institutions and public policy in our country with events and data from the past, present, and future. Advocate, speak out about these injustices and have conversations with the people around you and in your communities. Lastly remember, the names of those who were killed unjustly by the hands of police, not just African Americans but everyone else who has been affected negatively by this institution.
“First they came for the socialist, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionist, and I did not speak out- because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me- and there was no one left to speak for me.” - Martin Niemoller
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About the Author
Chika Ezeigbo is a grade 11 student at Central Cabarrus High School in North Carolina. She is interested in architecture and theism. Her passions vary from art to french. In her down time she loves to watch videos of adorable pitbulls and pimple popping. She hopes to use this platform to bring light to issues and help you question things you may have not considered
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