Police Brutality Among Black Americans. Police brutality or police violence is the use of excessive force by police on unarmed
civilians. Police brutality results in physical harm or psychological harm. Police brutality in the
United States dates back to labor strikes, including the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the
Lawrence textile strike of 1912. Studies indicate that the brutality
of police is the leading cause of death among American youths. It is estimated that 1 in every
1,000 Black American youth aged between 20 to 35 is more vulnerable to brutal killings by
police. Studies also reveal that Latinos and Hispanic youths
are at risk of police brutal killing compared to the Whites.
Black Americans or African Americans are an ethnic group with partial ancestry from
racial groups of Africa. It is believed that Black Americans are descendants of enslaved back
people. As of 2018, Black Americans formed about 12.7 percent of the
entire American population. The history of police brutality among the
Baack Americans dates back to the 1700s during the slave patrols. Black Americans have the
highest rate of fatal police shootings compared to all other minority ethnic groups. Studies show
that 209 Black Americans were fatally shot by police 2018 and 235 black American youths in
2019.
Police Brutality Among Black Americans
In protest against the police’s use of excessive force, the Black Americans formed the
Ferguson Missouri protests. They later formed the Black Lives Matter movement to protest the
killing of Michael Brown in 2014. Historic experiences involving
the Black Americans include the Los Angeles riots, which broke out in 1992, and the Watts riots, which broke out in 1965. Notable figures who lost their lives owing to police brutality include Diallo Manuel Loggins, Alton Sterling, and Kendra James.
The major issue facing Black Americans is racial profiling. Racial profiling refers to the
use of race or ethnicity as a basis for suspecting criminals. An example of racial
profiling is the shooting of Tamir Rice. Timothy Lohmann, a law enforcement officer who pulled
the trigger on a 12-year old Rice who was carrying a toy gun. The officer shot the
young boy twice, and he died the following day. Studies show that Black Americans are at an
increased risk of racial profiling compared to whites. APA style