Racial Profiling and the African American Male
Racial Profiling and Male African Americans
Tanika Williams
SOC/120
March 4, 2012
Renisha Gibbs
Racial Profiling and Male African Americans
What comes to your mind when you think of an interaction an authoritative figure (police, teacher, principal)? In the African American community it is usually fear and anxiety of the motive of the authoritative figure, especially if you are a male. The intersection of race and gender for the African American male provides a basis for premature judgment by many authoritative figures in their lives. African American males deserve the same equality to succeed in life as any other human being without the threat of the damned if you do, damned if you don’t moniker that defines the functional ability of African American males. Attention to the American judicial system produces daily evidence that African American males are disproportionately represented, convicted, and sentenced when compared to any other ethnic or gender group separate or combined. This includes interactions with authority from grade school to prison and any other interaction with society even amongst their own people. For African American males profiling is just an extension of the background injustice of being nonwhite in America.
By definition racial and gender profiling involves targeting people of specific race and or gender groups for a given purpose, usually negative, on the basis of their identity group. Stereotypical profiling is not new to America nor is its presence fading, what it does is evolve to hide its face among normal operation. There varying opinions as to the validity of profiling according to race and gender but to be honest with Americans, the sentiment of racism in America influences many functions within. Social divide is not something that can be stomped out like a small fire or swept under the rug like dust. It is alive and well, although well ignored. Social divide is a determining factor in any profile that involves race or
Tanika Williams
SOC/120
March 4, 2012
Renisha Gibbs
Racial Profiling and Male African Americans
What comes to your mind when you think of an interaction an authoritative figure (police, teacher, principal)? In the African American community it is usually fear and anxiety of the motive of the authoritative figure, especially if you are a male. The intersection of race and gender for the African American male provides a basis for premature judgment by many authoritative figures in their lives. African American males deserve the same equality to succeed in life as any other human being without the threat of the damned if you do, damned if you don’t moniker that defines the functional ability of African American males. Attention to the American judicial system produces daily evidence that African American males are disproportionately represented, convicted, and sentenced when compared to any other ethnic or gender group separate or combined. This includes interactions with authority from grade school to prison and any other interaction with society even amongst their own people. For African American males profiling is just an extension of the background injustice of being nonwhite in America.
By definition racial and gender profiling involves targeting people of specific race and or gender groups for a given purpose, usually negative, on the basis of their identity group. Stereotypical profiling is not new to America nor is its presence fading, what it does is evolve to hide its face among normal operation. There varying opinions as to the validity of profiling according to race and gender but to be honest with Americans, the sentiment of racism in America influences many functions within. Social divide is not something that can be stomped out like a small fire or swept under the rug like dust. It is alive and well, although well ignored. Social divide is a determining factor in any profile that involves race or
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