The Relationship Between Police Brutality And African...

Despite the fact that the days of slavery died down hundreds of years ago, racism still exists in many forms today. It may not be as self-evident as it was back when black individuals had to sit at the back of the bus, but in reality, to this day racism still exists in a vicious however very subtle way. Nowadays racism can occur through cultural institutions, individual racism, as well as racial ideology. These forms of discrimination cause racial inequalities which bring about a lack of opportunity and mistreatment. This paper will focus on the relationship between police brutality and African Americans. Let me be clear though police brutality affects the lives of minorities in general, but mostly this epidemic causes repercussions for†¦show more content†¦Looking back at the lives of African Americans during the 1980 s, individual racism was a considerable issue. African Americans were mistreated in many ways, whether it be physical, mentally institutionally. Fast forward to now, African Americans are still being mistreated the same way they were back then. However, this time, it is more subtle. For example, police nowadays are abusing their authority and endangering the lives of African Americans. Much like the early nineties, African Americans are being abused physically, by police of course. Institutional racism decreases the life chances of African Americans, in other words, the opportunity for an individual to improve his or her life. It affects multiple aspects of African American lives such as; access to higher education, home ownership, health care, and much more. Hurricane Katrina was as an example of institutional racism because the government was not quick enough when it came to providing aid to the families who lost their homes. Many of the people that were impacted were black families whose sense of community was diminished due to the tides. Another example of this is when African Americans attempt to obtain a loan for education purposes or for other reasons. In most cases the bank will not approve the loan due to low income, previous credit history or even based on stereotypes. Institutional racism is evident in the criminal justice system through high incarceration rates as