History and Reasons Behind Police Brutality Against African Americans

This essay discusses the history and reasons behind police brutality against African Americans. The history of police brutality against African Americans is a long and complex one, beginning during the time of slavery.

After emancipation, many Black communities were heavily policed by white authorities who often resorted to violence in order to maintain control. During the Jim Crow era, law enforcement officials used excessive force and terror tactics to subjugate Blacks, leading to widespread fear and mistrust among African American citizens towards the police. This continued through the civil rights movement when activists campaigning for equal rights faced extreme oppression from authorities, including mass arrests and physical assaults.

Today, racial profiling still exists in police departments across America - with disproportionately more stops of Black individuals than any other race - which has helped perpetuate an environment of animosity between African Americans and law enforcement. Furthermore, due to the lack of police accountability and oversight, officers often feel as though they are able to act with impunity when dealing with Black suspects, leading to frequent accusations of excessive force in encounters with African Americans. The rise of cellphone cameras has helped shed light on many of these incidents and sparked outrage among citizens who have seen the videos of police brutality circulating online.

The history and reasons behind police brutality against African Americans is an urgent one which must be addressed. It is essential that law enforcement officials receive proper training in order to learn how to appropriately deal with different situations without resorting to violence or intimidation tactics. Additionally, more oversight needs to be put in place in order for any instances of police brutality to be prosecuted and for officers to be held accountable for their actions. Only once these steps have been taken can there be any hope for a more equitable future between the police and African American citizens.