Statistics Of Arrest Rates Of African Americans example essay topic

THE CRIES AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE " Racism is a bad thing, you find it everywhere in the schools, the clubs and also in the streets". - Rasmus & Casper The belief that one race by nature stands superior to another defines racism. Racism can be traced back to the beginning of civilization and has always existed as a horrible issue in our society. Many attempts and reforms have occurred in hopes of eliminating racism and much progress has been achieved.

Yet, even after the emancipation proclamation, equality laws placed within the constitution, small revolutions and acts taken by people such as Rosa Parks -who refuse to sit in the back of the bus during an era of segregation- racism remains an ominous, problem in our society. In fact, the justice system, thought to unit and promote equality in "the land of the free", actually contributes to the destruction of our national idea of racial harmony. This paper will focus on how the criminal justice system works and how racism plays a major role within the justice Lobhai 2 system. Incorporated throughout the paper lie excerpts from poets and individuals who have spoken out against this bias justice system and racism they many have experienced in their era. African Americans have especially experienced and suffered from racism, beginning from the days of slavery and the need for cheap labor during the Industrial Revolution. In an essay entitled Black Americans: Prisoners of Socio-economic Cycles, the author states that "Those first Africans were prisoners of a socio-economic system which by design was purposely incapable of rendering justice and therefore, equal opportunity to Africans as well as other minorities (Ansar 2)".

During the years of oppression, in which blacks still experienced limited freedom within the law, many artists spoke against this discrimination through their literature. One such artist, Langston Hughes, who lived from 1902-1922, expressed his frustration through poetry and other works. In his poem "As I Grew Older" Langston, describes the discrimination he experienced: "And then the wall rose, rose slowly, between me and my dream... The wall- Shadow. I am black... My hands!

Lobhai 3 My dark hands! Break through the wall! Find my dream! (qt d. In W.T.L. 239)". According to Jean Wagner in Black Poets of the United States, the dream that Hughes writes of represents the democratic ideal of liberty and equality; the history of the dream is actually the history of the founding and building of America. The dream of black people has always been closely blended with the American dream, which is not yet a reality for all (Anstendig & Hicks 239).

Years later, Martin Luther King Jr.'s delivered his speech, "I have A Dream" in 1963. His motive lied in hopes of persuading his community to unit and protest against discrimination. Martin Luther King spoke out: The life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination... the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land (qt d. in W.T.L. 235). Much progress developed years after his death, but many others continued to speak against the issue that persists. Lobhai 4 In Higginbotham's book In The Matter of Color, he questions the American justice system and its inequality that persist: "Is it a so-called democratic process based upon representation? In 1980, there were only 17 Congressmen and no opted Negroes (49)".

Today, when it comes to race and the criminal justice system unfair treatment against minorities and African Americans lives. This country and it's system stands on the verge of social catastrophe because of the sheer number of African Americans behind bars. Statistics reveal that nearly one out of three black males are in prison, on parole, or on probation. They make up nearly half of those incarcerated in prisons. Statistics of arrest rates of African Americans indicate that they commit more crimes than whites relative to the population. While it appears that our crime rates for African-Americans are somewhat higher, than those for whites relative to the population.

Crimes by African Americans do not seem to get any worse. Since the 1970's, African Americans have been accounted for about 45 percent of arrested for murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. These numbers signify that the proportion of Lobhai 5 overall crime committed by African Americans has not increased for several years. Yet, since the 1980's the African American prison population had increased dramatically while the white prison population had increased far less. Prison statistics hold similarities to those statistics made of people on death row.

Two thirds of all state and federal prisoners is people of color -- with black accounting for 51% and people of Latin descent counting for 15%. Statistics show that blacks are seven and a half times more likely to be imprisoned than whites. In 10 states in the Northwest and Midwest, blacks are incarcerated at a rate of at least 10 times that of whites. In 1999, more than 70 percent of males arrested were white, and 25 percent were black. However, between the arrest, trail, and prison many arrested white cases seemed to disappear from the system. Only 35 percent of whites were held while 44 percent of the blacks were held in custody.

According to the FBI, more whites are arrested for murder, rape, robbery, assault, and drug related crimes than blacks, but they are less likely to be imprisoned. Parole and Probation also show inequality in the justice system. In 1993, almost one third of the 130,000 Lobhai 6 inmates in California had been put in prison by their probation officers. These inmates received imprisonment for technically violating the conditions of their probation or parole for acts such as missing appointment, not attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, being employed, or moving or marrying without permission. Yet, they did not engage in sufficient behavior to warrant an arrest or criminal charge. If this process persists, almost two out of every three young African Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 will receive imprisonment by the year 2020.

As for young Hispanic men between those same age ranges, one out of four will be in prison by the year 2020. Many liberal critics of the criminal justice system protest that blacks receive charges in huge numbers because of racially bias judges, juries, and prosecutors: as well as discrimination in the enforcement of drug laws, poverty, and lack of education. Higginbotham asks in his book, "if the legal system is but a framework of laws protecting the economic system... then how can the core problems of Africans be solved through the judicial or legal institutions of America? (112) " Another critic, author of No Equal Justice, argues: "law enforcement depends on the exploitation of race and class divisions and that's in just (Cole 37)". Lobhai 7 Therefore, the questions remain: how can we change the unjust ways of the system?

Will racism ever end? The only solution that may still provide hope for eliminating racism is by instill values of equality amongst our children. In the song from "South Pacific" it states: "You have to be taught to hate and fear, You have to be taught from year to year, it has to be drummed in your dear little ear". Therefore, we should instill ideas promoting equality and admiration of the differences among the human race instead of fear and or hate within our children. The children growing up now will grow into future judges, police officers, probation officers, and community members.

Effort from everyone in society may assist in achieve the dream of equality; it has not been easy but many believe that without a struggle no progress will occur. The poet Frederick Douglas once wrote in his poem "No Struggle, No Progress": "The whole history of progress of human liberty shows that all concession yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle there is no progress.".