During the many years of enslavement in this country, black folks were dehumanized, separated from their families, forced to give free labor to white folks, forbidden to become educated, and as Frederick Douglass said “we are rewarded for subservience and punished for assertiveness”.  The subsequent Jim Crow period relegated black people to live in areas that were environmentally unsafe and crime-infested with substandard schools, both physically and educationally. Even for those who might’ve had the financial means to move to better neighborhoods, a policy called “redlining” existed which covertly kept black folks from moving into neighborhoods with better conditions. 

OK..so now we have a situation where a group of impoverished people who are primarily black, are forced to live together in mostly crowded areas…and, as a legacy of the slavery and Jim Crow periods, are under-educated and unprepared for well-paying jobs… (which would be closed to them anyway for the most part, because of their race). 

The powers that be, consisting of mostly white men, were not inclined to change the status quo which benefited them so, we had what was called the “Civil Rights Movement”, initiated by protests and sit-Ins, etc. led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr and many others(including white folks) who sacrificed their lives to bring about racial & equal justice.
Even back then, racist white southerners like Alabama governor George Wallace claimed the movement was led by socialists and communist agitators and what was needed was more Law and Order(sound familiar?).

I think it’s important to state that while all of this is going on, Americans were(and continue to be)raised in a society where the people in power are predominately white(usually men).  They are the leaders of business, politics, the military, education, sports, entertainment, science, and technology. So, if you are born and raised in a society where the color of the rich and powerful is, for the most part, white and those on the bottom of the economic and educational ladder are black and you see this around you every day, it should not be surprising that racist attitudes exist within Americans, including police officers, and a condition of unconscious bias is omnipresent whether we admit it or not. This reality of inequality is perpetuated via the movies, TV, and publications that depict members of the black race as criminals and people to be feared.  This representation of American culture is distributed and promoted worldwide so the infection of racism against black people is found in Europe, Asia, and worldwide. 

Black children, born and raised under those conditions mentioned above, face challenges that go far beyond the daily rituals of youngsters who live in areas that are free from these dire circumstances.  The resulting so-called black on black crime is not caused by inherent criminality or skin color.  It is a result of the historic policies, traditions, and legacy of a government, rife with systemic racism, that places people in a position where survival and defensive behavior are necessities.  When police go into these neighborhoods, they are oblivious to the underlying causes of any criminality they might be confronted with and the unconscious bias or racism that they carry with them. All they see is someone with a black face who they have been subconsciously conditioned to suspect and fear, so they frequently act impulsively with excessive brute force which would not be used on someone who is white.  At this point, it is more than likely that a young black person is charged (oftentimes falsely) with some petty crime and ends up in jail.  The criminal injustice system being what it is, as it relates to the bail and bond system, cost of competent lawyers, and the incestuous relationship between the police, prosecutors, and judges,  the youngster ends up spending years in prison where he or she is frequently criminalized and the cycle is continued when he gets back into the community.

Because of the systemic racism that is pervasive in our society, there are people like Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative who have risen up to combat and alert folks of these tragic conditions we are facing.  The American society must be educated regarding racism in this country and a complete overhaul similar to the Marshall plan after World War II should be implemented to upgrade underserved black communities.  Access to good schools, libraries, medical and social service facilities should be readily available in an environment free from toxicity and pollution.  Sports, arts and healthy food venues in a community with modern infrastructure would contribute to a good quality of life.  Whatever its called, it could be in the spirit of “reparations”….a term that has become controversial(please click on the link below to see my thoughts on that subject).  The children raised in such an environment would obviously be better served and prepared to function productively, which would not only benefit the youth but the community at large.  I hope what I have suggested will be at least thought-provoking.  

Thanks for checking it out!

Phil

“Reparations for Slavery in America…..Yes or No”