You and your father are visiting his fiancée and her son at their townhouse in Sanford, Florida. You decided to got to the corner store to get some snacks. It’s cold and raining outside so you put on your grey hoodie and put your hood on your head. You decide to walk to the store because it’s a short walk. While your walking you admire the houses as you pass them. You finally get to the store and buy your snacks. As your leaving the store, you notice a man watching you from his car. You get a little spooked so you decide to walk a little faster. As you speed walk you realize that the man is out his car and is now following you so you begin to run. You can hear him saying something in the distance but your to scared for it to comprehend. Your almost at your father’s fiancée’s house but your getting tired and start to slow down, allowing the man to catch up to you. He grabs you violently and tugs at your arm for you to come with him. You refuse and try to break free; pushing and scratching, doing anything you can to get away. When you finally break free and try to run from the strange man he proceeds to pull out a gun. You try putting your snacks in your pocket so you can put your hands up and BANG he fatally shoots you. In court the man was found not guilty in all counts because he claimed self- defense.
Parts of this story have become and reality for many innocent African Americans including, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown, in America. The murders of unarmed African Americans must be stopped. As an African American I shouldn’t have to worried on being killed by law enforcement solely because of the color of my skin. No mother should have to mourn the death of their child who was killed by someone whose job is to “protect and serve”. On top of that no murderer should receive little to no jail time for viciously murdering an innocent human being. In order to fix the problem that is racism in the criminal justice system anti-discrimination laws should be increased, there should be better anti-racism training and testing, and anti-racism should be taught in schools.
The anti-discrimination laws we have today are not adequate enough to stop racism in America. The 13th amendment abolished slavery in America. “Job description (excluding people from jobs because of their race). Outlawed at the national level in 1964.”,“Segregation (in schools, public places, sports, etc.). Public segregation was outlawed in 1965”, “Denial of voting rights (poll taxes, literacy tests, […]). This was outlawed in 1964, and again in the 1965 Voting Rights Act.” (Mosley, Albert) Today, “It is illegal under U.S. federal law to discriminate against an employee, either intentionally or through a disparate impact on account of race, color, religion sex(including pregnancy), national origin, age, disabilities or genetic information.” (L&E) These laws are not properly implicated therefore they are not followed or applied. This is why although it is outlawed we still see discrimination in America.
There should be better anti-racism training and testing in the law enforcement. “In July of 1917, there was one of the most brutal riots against African Americans there — scores and scores of white folks attacking blacks simply for being employed in wartime industries. There were indiscriminate attacks and, in effect, lynchings: beatings, hangings of black residents […][caused] very tense race relations between whites and blacks, and also between the police and the black community.” (Vox) Today, “structural racism might influence police violence against African Americans are Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, which register the highest on the state racism index, and have some of the highest rates of unarmed African Americans shot by police.” (Mock, Brentin) If law enforcement trains police anti-racism then there will be less deaths due to racism. Also if we can test officers to see if there racist then we can terminate them eliminating some of the bias and racist officers in the law enforcement.
Anti-racism should be taught in public schools. “Black students faced greater rates of suspension, expulsion and arrest than their white classmates, according to federal data.” (Washington Post) A bias school system basically breeds students into racism. It teaches students to treat people who look different from you differently, which is unfair. If we start with teaching anti-racism in public schools then as children grow up they will see racism and discrimination as taboo. It would create a better learning environment for all children, no matter race, class, or gender.
Some may say that if you look at racism in the criminal justice system as a whole there really isn’t any . Although many African Americans are incarcerated in America there are more white people overall. When the reality is although there are more whites incarcerated it’s only because there’s not that many African Americans in America to begin with. African Americans only make up 12.1% of America’s population and with most of them being incarcerated there’s even less on the streets.
Overall, to fix the problem that is racism in the criminal justice system anti-discrimination laws should be increased, there should be better anti-racism training and testing, and anti-racism should be taught in schools. Anti-discrimination laws would make racism illegal. Anti-racism testing and training will enforce those laws and teaching anti-racism in public schools will decrease the amount of racism and discrimination as a whole.