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Yoohyun Choi
Ethnic Studies 21AC
Professor Siri Brown
18 December 2015
Police Brutality on African American Youth in America
How many black boys have to die? The media flashes with another name, another family
member, classmate, best friend to the extent where the question arises: how many more Trayvon
Martins, Michael Browns, Oscar Grants, Sean Bells, Renisha McBrides, and all the other
nameless African American youth? In a colorblind country that prides itself of unparalleled
democracy and freedom, the homicide in the form of police violence has become legalized. This
issue of police brutality targets the youth demographic group, particularly the age group of 15
24. However in the alleged racially blind society America prides itself to be, there is debate
whether police brutality derives from racial tensions or is purely for maintaining justice;
therefore, the harsh reality of police brutality is compromised by those who only recognize the
few select cases on media sources, rather than a consistent pattern. Covert racism perpetuates the
implicit psychological racial biases by the police that lead to the explicit, discriminatory
externalization of their authority. Racial profiling and experiences with police violence impact
black youth psychologically and sociologically, emerging an attitude of mistrust for the police
and legal system. This paper analyzes the severity on race, implicit and explicit causes, impacts,
and current resistance and reforms of police brutality on black youth.
History demonstrates that there has not been increased police brutality recently but rather
more media coverage and awareness of the issue. Alexa Freeman argues the setting has shifted
with police brutality analogous to historical violence such as lynching and as such, police

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brutality must be analyzed in the context of race to be fully comprehended (Sanders 741). When
the system of control through lynchings collapsed, another less racially explicit mechanism
replaced it in the form of excessive force. However, it is clear that the pseudo-colorblind nature
of America impacts the awareness of this issue: the 2014 Quinnipiac University survey results
indicate that 54% of white voters as opposed to 90% of black voters believe police brutality is a
very serious or somewhat serious problem in New York City (Quinnipiac University). This
disparity between black and white voters demonstrate that only communities who have been
personally affected believe the extent of severity this problem currently holds. This can be
attributed to the impact of technology and the FBI bureaucracy. Contrary to popular opinion, the
death of Rodney King by LA police officers in 1991 did not initiate the phenomenon of police
brutality. Only because of the significant impact of recent technological advances to record
inappropriate police behavior has police brutality become a nationally recognized issue, but in
reality, police violence has been historically prevalent (Shaw). However, the severity of the
problem is undermined by the fact that systemic patterns of police brutality and arbitrary
homicides purposely fall into oblivion by the state government. The Justice Department and FBI
do not keep data on police brutality cases; more importantly, FBI director James B. Comey
highlights that the FBI only tracks the number of justifiable homicides, even allowing the
police reporting of these cases and other instances of misconduct to be optional. Though New
York City received 20,535 complaints against police officers, Paula Ioanide speculates this
number to be much lower than the incidents of misconduct because many residents believe it is a
waste of time to hold the police accountable (Ioanide 75 - 77). Consequently, most cases
disappear and do not receive the same attention as the events the media broadcasts. As a result,
the public believes that these token cases in the media such as Trayvon Martin or Oscar Grant are

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incidental and not part of a systematic pattern. This creates a standardized notion that police
brutality is arbitrary and not based on racist ideals; however, colorblindness serves as a mask to
hide the real intentions behind excessive violence.
The implicitly psychological biases and social constructs ingrained in the police
mentality contribute to the causes of excessive force. The consequences derived from centuries
of dehumanization, marginalization and segregation of African Americans contribute to an
unconscious racial bias. In the 2014 study published by American Psychological Association,
researchers discovered that black children receive the benefit of innocence to a lesser degree
than children of other racial backgrounds. This misperception of young African Americans as
older and more censurable for their actions perpetuates the racial discrimination in police
violence (Goff and Jackson 24). Because of cursory judgments based solely on salient physical
traits, the police rob black youth of fair treatment, safety, and benefit of the doubt. Studies of
implicit bias demonstrate that stereotypes dictate the responses of people to specific traits and
descriptions; for example, a large black man could engender responses of fear and danger
(Goff and Jackson). The police resort to excessive force for a control and defense mechanism,
needing no premise for an imminent threat (Williams 99). As such, black men, whether they are
guilty or innocent, carry the burden of being stigmatized as a suspect. However even when a
threat is not present, the police commit acts of violence against minority groups because the
emotional rewards caused by exercising boundless abuse of power and oppression translates
into a dangerous mentality of invincibility (Ioanide 77). This invincibility sustains the white
power structure and the notion that white is superior, therefore it is permissible to commit what
these policemen perceive as justifiable homicide. However it is important to note that the police
officers do not always act consciously on the premise of white supremacy and historical

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antagonism between the racial groups. Rather their bodies are unconsciously wired to responding
in adherence with historys power structures and maintaining a visage of white male police
authority (Ioanide 67). Therefore, African American youth live under tough scrutiny because of
the unconscious negative associations the police hold against them and under harsh conditions as
police exercise dominance.
The externalization of discipline through police contact and physical militarization forges
an environment for police brutality. As a result of racial profiling, police officers initiate contact
with black individuals at disproportionate amounts in comparison to other races, creating more
opportunities for violent encounters. Officer Daniel Pantaleo accosted Eric Garner for selling
untaxed cigarettes. Officer Darren Wilson stopped Michael Brown for jaywalking. Officer
George Zimmerman stopped Trayvon Martin for potentially being an armed burglar, when in
fact, Trayvon was holding Skittles that he had just bought. Unreasonable and excessive police
contact with people of color in these three very different jurisdictions prescribed the context for
all three homicides. When stopped for the most trivial, minimal misdemeanors, officers create
excuses in order to criminalize African American youth. Cities and communities amplify police
contact by hiring more officers and externalizing discipline at targeted zones. For example, in
order to glamorize New York City in the early 1900s, the impoverished and homeless
communities were cleared out in order to create an attractive space for the private sectors
billion-dollar corporations. In addition to limiting welfare for families, Mayor Giuliani, New
York Police Department, and supporters of big business enacted and practiced restructuring
policies that catered to the wealthy. Thus New York City began to effectuate disciplinary
operations in institutions beyond prison through the increase of privatized and volunteer
vigilante police forces and the creation of social control districts through scan-scapes and

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sites of police colonization. Encouraged by Giulianis rhetoric of clean public space, the
government legalized these militarized, heavy surveillance areas and Giuliani endorsed zero
tolerance punitive methods, providing opportunities for the legal system to justify excessive
authority (Ioanide 60 61). Though this was not explicitly racial, the impoverished
demographics consisted of the same historically marginalized communities of color and the same
racial groups of most police brutality victims today. Because cities prioritize the demographics of
wealthy backgrounds and communicate the same rhetoric of clean public areas, the government
hires police to exercise pervasive visual and physical control, systematically criminalizing
targeted racial groups - especially African Americans. With the deadly combination of implicit
racial profiling and explicit physical contact, police zero in on and antagonize black youth with
excessive force.
When the police, the universal figurehead of protection, resort to violent tactics parallel
to the oppressive terrorization prevalent in African American history, the psychological impact
on the black youth invokes mistrust and apprehension toward legal authority. In the 2009
Mobilization and Change survey, only 44.2% of black youth expressed they trusted the police
(Black Youth Project), even before events such as Ferguson inundated national news. A little over
a quarter of African American youth (26.8%) believe the American justice system treats all racial
groups equally (Rogowski). A 24-year old black individual interviewed by Ioanide responds, I
would ask [the police officers] why they are harassing me, but I know that they need very little
motivation to shoot me. Giulani has showed us over and over again that police have the right to
shoot black men in open daylight for no reason and that they can get away with it (Ioanide 61).
His testimony against his local police and mayor Giulani demonstrate that black youth not only
harbor mistrust toward the policemen but even its bureaucratic subsidiaries such as the justice

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system and the mayor. In addition to mistrust, black youth grow hyperaware of themselves and
their actions in the presence of police. The organization Invisible Institutes Youth Police Project
has initiated a conversation about the young peoples opinion of police brutality in their
community, focusing significantly on ways to avoid the police through self-policing. Selfpolicing is the mentality of how to control ones appearance and behavior in order to remain
inconspicuous to the police. Participants of the Invisible Institutes project consolidated a list of
avoidances ranging from a minimal dont make eye contact to an extreme dont do anything.
The list also includes various disguises such as wearing a childish backpack or exhibiting a
nerdy appearance. Some of the boys even admit going to the extent of using girls as decoys to
appear to be in a relationship when the police are around (Invisible Institute). The psychological
impact of police brutality incites fear into black youth, dictating their trust toward legal authority
and their behavior in public.
Police brutality also bears heavy sociological impact, particularly on the family of
brutalized youth. When innocent children are scrutinized, judged, and killed for irrational
reasons, black parenting is heavily influenced on teaching children how to behave in front of the
police, often learned before learning how to read. Violence against youth intersects with
feminism as mothers have to constantly worry about husbands, sons, and daughters getting
injured. SisterSong, an organization that aims to accomplish reproductive justice and human
rights for women of color, defines reproductive justice as the right to have children, not have
children, and to parent the children we have in safe and healthy environments (SisterSong).
Thus in black parenting, the omnipresent fear that their babies and children will be taken from
them before growing up is regarded as a reproductive and feminist issue as these mothers
victimized by police brutality are denied the opportunity to raise their children. Esaw Garner,

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widow of Eric Garner, highlights how police brutality violates reproductive rights and impacts
her black children when she rejects Officer Pantaleos apologies. Upon learning that Officer
Pantaleo was not indicted for his misconduct, she asserted, Hes still feeding his kids, when my
husband is six feet under and Im looking for a way to feed my kids now. Whos going to play
Santa Claus? (MSNBC). Esaw must carry the double-duty burden of singlehandedly raising her
children and constantly worrying for their lives due to her personal experiences with police
violence.
However, one positive impact is the new grassroots protest movements, particularly in
the younger demographics, transpired by the current events. Because youth are less involved in
formal political agencies, young people are innovating alternative methods of civic engagement
through non-traditional ways such as social media and hip-hop (Porfilio 90). Pew Research
Centers survey highlights that younger Americans harbor far more dissatisfaction over the
Zimmerman verdict than older Americans (Okafar 42). As the issue of police brutality impacts
classmates, siblings, friends, the youth have mobilized to stand up for their peers and themselves.
The intersection of these various mediums of self-expression provide a space for global
communication, civic engagement, distribution of information and stories: social media creates a
network for youth to assemble, often building coalitions from common interests such as hip-hop.
With increasing use of technology, especially in the younger demographics, social
medias influence is unparalleled in disseminating news, stimulating social opinion, and
mobilizing activism. With the rapid fire of technology, Facebook activism catalyzes the spread of
news, often more effectively than other news platforms due to its heavy prevalence in adolescent
lives. In addition Facebook adds another personal dimension to news and media: users have the
ability to initiate dialogue by sharing their personal stories and accounts. In the aftermath of

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Michael Browns shooting in Ferguson, civil rights activist DeRay McKesson reflects, We were
able to document in a way that we never could have without social media. We were able to tell
our own stories (Wellington 22). Most importantly the universality of social media allows these
widespread movements to erase racial lines and encourage participation from all races. Dante
Barry, digital organizer for Center for Media Justice and leader of Million Hoodies Movement
for Justice explains that the organization Million Hoodies was established mostly because the
media lacked adequate reporting on Trayvon Martins homicide in 2012. Because the local media
failed to report it comprehensively and the context of Trayvons death was not emphasized,
Million Hoodies organized a social media campaign to stimulate further awareness of Trayvons
case and empower young people to initiate action. As a consequence of the acquittal of George
Zimmerman, Blacklivesmatter flooded the social media platforms and established as an
organization to fight police brutality (Shor). Social media campaigns initiate advocacy and
inspire peers to engage in speaking out against police brutality. In addition to lobbying for
change on social media, direct political, such as conversations about current events and the
political climate, and nonpolitical, such as chats based on similar interests, interactions provide
valuable diverse perspectives and social capital (Profilio 88).
Hip-hop culture, highly prevalent in the lives of black youth, offers a creative way to
engage youth in the resistance against police brutality. Clinical psychologist P. Tony Jackson
describes the impact of socially conscious hip-hop artists as mainstream artists like Lupe Fiasco
and nonmainstream artists use hip-hop lyrics to challenge the industrys reputation and stimulate
conversation around critical issues (Jackson 27). Similarly, hip-hop and rap have been effective
tools for fostering activism and providing an outlet for self-expression. Ranging from personal
relief to civic engagement, hip-hop inspires personal reflection and external activism. At the self-

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awareness level, hip-hop serves as communication medium of feelings such as pain and anger; at
the social awareness level, hip hop offers a forum for youth to collaborate, inform, and politicize
in their community; at the global awareness level, hip hop allows young people to come together
in solidarity of similar experiences and suffering (Porfilio 91). In Chicago at Batey Urbano, hip
hop provides a space for youth to challenge issues of inequality such as mass incarceration and
police brutality that often blame youth for as the reason for their own problems. And the
intersection of social media and hip hop has inspired a new space for engaging youth of color to
unite, discuss viewpoints on social, political, and artistic issues all the way from local
communities to the global. Social media enables hip-hop youth to develop social networks and
coalitions to mobilize real action for social justice. For example, in Chicago at Batey Urbano, hip
hop provides a space for youth to challenge inequality issues such as mass incarceration and
police brutality that often blame young people as the root of their own problems (Profilio 91). In
2006, William Patterson, Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, and Aaron Ammons created the Song Poetry
Education Arts Knowledge (SPEAK) Caf, a spoken-word hip-hop venue for students and youth
in the community that has continued to exist today. SPEAK remains highly active, maintaining a
weekly hip-hop radio show with the motto agitate, educate, organize. Through various
methods, community leaders have capitalized on cultural resources such as hip-hop to advance
the acquisition of a critical black social consciousness (Cha-Jua 78).
In response to the unprecedented surge of resistance and grassroots protests, many new
reforms have been proposed at the national and international level to promote safer community
policing and better education of the police. At the national level, when President Obama received
news of Michael Browns grand jury decision, he not only commented on the controversial topic
of racism in policing, but also proposed an elaborate $263 million plan to foster cultural

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competence and safer law enforcement. His reforms included the use of police body cameras,
increase of training for the police force, expanding resources for department reform, and
amplifying the communication between Department of Justice and local communities. In
addition to President Obamas objectives, the National Urban League, a significant civil rights
organization, has introduced a more comprehensive 10-part plan with more advanced proposals.
The National Urban League also advocates for improved extensive police hiring standards,
mandatory FBI reporting, national database of citizen complaints against individual policemen,
and a national anti-racial profiling law (Okafor 58 59). While these national reforms are in the
developing stage or need to be further reviewed, such as avoiding violation of privacy with body
cameras, these proposals pose a step in the right direction. With stricter and more inclusive hiring
practices, a diverse police staff could be critical in combatting racial stereotypes that perpetuate
violence. With the use of body cameras, there would be clear evidence to indict a guilty police
officer of misconduct. With training, police could become more culturally aware and prevent
acting on racially biased impulses. These proposed reforms hold potential in creating a safer
environment for the future of black youth.
In addition to national awareness, Americas problem of police violence has been brought
internationally to the attention of the United Nations. Mireille France, Head of the UN Working
Group of Experts on People of African Descent believes that the cases of Michael Brown and
Eric Garner contribute to existing concerns on the racial discrimination against African
Americans, particularly in the justice system. As a result, he has called for a comprehensive
investigation of all laws that could legalized discrimination against African Americans to make
sure that these laws adhere with the nations international legal obligations to the United Nations
and other international regulations (Okafar 47). With the power of the United Nations and the

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standards the countries must comply with, international reforms could alter policy in order to
finally end racial inequality. Symbolically, the hallmark event when Michael Browns parents
flew out to Geneva, Switzerland, to visit the United Nations Committee Against Torture to
appeal for justice parallels Malcolm X when he stood in front of the General Assembly of the
Organization of African Unity to bring attention to the institutional racism and violation of black
rights. Both events are significant because the international council recognized, even called for a
review of a national issue, demonstrating not only the severity of police brutality in America but
also the fact that effective resistance can initiate action and effectuate reform from even the
highest powers.
Similar to the policing reforms, many initiatives have been implemented to educate and
pioneer conversations among youth about police brutality. Schools such as Wandering Spirit
School have begun to promote experiential education and exercises among black youth in
identifying police brutality as a personal issue, differentiating from how the students perceive it
through the media portrayal. One teaching method is popular theatre where students use drama to
act out and discuss experiences with police interactions. Popular theatre enables students to view
real people as victims of police brutality, rather than the nameless labeled criminals in the
media where both perspectives of the issue are not prevalent. Another educational initiative uses
photography to commence discussion about the social issues that black youth face. As they take
photos of their world, photography becomes a language as students learn a lot about their own
environment, their own social situation, and the choices to make (Wishart 120). Similar to these
progressive school initiatives, many organizations have established nationwide to specifically
educate and cater to communities affected by police violence, such as the Invisible Institute. The
Invisible Institute, a journalism production company, has initiated a project called the

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Youth/Police Project as a social intervention to leverage necessary reforms. This program aims
to create transparency of police issues, introduce civil rights law to high school students, and
build dialogue with black teens about how the prevalence of police in their neighborhood impact
their community. Members of this project discuss how they deal with the police and evident
racism, exchanging narratives and personal methods of self-policing. Chaclyn Hunt, the director
of the Youth/Police Project articulates that the most important lesson was that young people
most directly affected by systemic injustices have a central role to play in their reform.
(Invisible Institute). Therefore when these schools and organizations create safe environments
encouraging activism, the black youth affected hold the power to effectuate reform.
With a few token cases sensationalized in the media, it is easy to assume that police
brutality is an episodic rather than a systematic and fundamental issue. In the colorblind society
where America disapproves of explicit racism, the nation turns a blind eye to the deadly
consequences of a history based on racist social constructionism. Consequently, the implicit
racial biases allow for the explicit criminalization and legalization of excessive force on the
targeted African American youth, shaping a devastating psychological and sociological impact.
However the galvanization of todays youth to challenge this societal issue has triggered a mass
nationwide movement through various innovative platforms such as social media, hip-hop, and
protests. While their work is coming to fruition through new reforms from local to the
international level, police brutality remains a serious issue deeply embedded in societys
standards, threatening the ideals of democracy as legalized homicide. Thus it is crucial for the
resistance to sustain and inspire more reforms to abolish this racially biased system of control
once and for all.

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