Part of the reason that racial bias within the justice system is such a pressing issue is that, because of its intricate infiltration into almost every level and area of law enforcement, it is so hard to pin down. As these chapters discuss, racial bias comes into play in the courtroom, in the jury, in the arrest, in the sentencing, and in the processing, but it is most prevalent and serious as a part of the social mindset with stereotypes perpetuated by the media. The public has been convinced of many false, racially biased “facts”, such as the belief that blacks are arrested for drug crimes more often because they use drugs at higher rates than whites, when in fact both ethnic groups use drugs at similar rates and if anything, whites actually use and deal drugs more than minority groups (97).
These biases play an essential role in the vicious circle of racist prejudices and policies leading to racist arrests, which serve to perpetuate the initial bias. To echo the reading once again, the existence of subtle and often unconscious social and racial bias contributes to the overall problem of unjust and racist arrests in the “War on Drugs”. Many people simply think that they are beyond racism when in reality they may just be mistaking their blindness for “color-blindness”, they say race doesn’t exist but only know how to live in a society and system that is rooted in racially based exploitation and discrimination. If you’re not scared to look in the mirror you should visit Project Implicit and take their quizzes designed to measure “implicit associations” that you may have about ethnicity, and other topics like gender, sexual orientation, and weight or economic status. Maybe if we can start recognizing that there is a problem and that often we, as individuals and as a society, are the problem (or are at least complicit) then we can better tackle the issue of racism within the judicial system and police force.
In New York City, one way that the people’s power can be used to limit racism within the system is the NYCLU Stop and Frisk Watch App which allows citizens on the street who witness a police interaction or arrest to report any police wrongdoing or unjust behavior. The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is also in place, and actually, recent data shows that both complaints and actual stops are lower now than in past years while there have still been an increase in number of arrests. Mayor DeBlasio has also expressed public disapproval of stop-and-frisk policies and is working to actually eliminate the policy, recently dropping a past appeal made on a court ruling, which had ruled stop-and-frisk policies are harmful because they target minorities. This means that DeBlasio is supporting the court finding that stop-and-frisk policies can be, and often are, racist, and hopefully he will incorporate this understanding into his policies and social equality platform.
While systematized racism is an urgent and ubiquitous issue in the USA, and while it seems like there may be no hope, small steps of progress are starting to be made. Technology and social media have made it harder for elements of racial bias, such as in the infamous Trayvon Martin case, to go undetected. More citizens are becoming involved and are able to speak out or at the very least snap a photo or record a video for youtube of police misconduct or brutality. Do you think that technology and worldwide interconnection can be used to combat institutionalized racism in our society? How long do we have to go before you think we have made real solid progress towards a more equal society?
JE
