The Ferguson Riots And Racial Profiling Essay - 1701 Words

Social movements are an integral part of a cohesive and progressive society. Movements have been made throughout history and so it’s unsurprising that so many have occurred in the relatively short existence of the United States. One particular movement in current history is the Ferguson protests of 2014 that were marked by rioting in the streets of the small St. Louis suburb. These riots serve to show the significant unrest surrounding the way black people are treated in this country as well as to demonstrate that racism is still a very large problem in our society. The Ferguson riots were a product of a long period of discrimination towards and mistreatment of the black community in Ferguson and were ignited by the murder of a young black man named Michael Brown. Michael was shot and killed by a police officer who believed that the young man was a danger to his life. This is one of many of these killings that seem to be centered on racial profiling done by police officers, and fueled by the societal perception that black people (men, in particular) are inherently dangerous and usually armed. There has been case after case of police officers shooting innocent black men and women simply because the officers get scared and overreact. Police brutality towards people of color is something that desperately needs to be addressed so that we can prevent the continued loss of precious life. The protest in Ferguson lasted for several days or weeks at a time, recurring several timesShow MoreRelatedPolice Brutality Of African Americans1405 Words   |  6 PagesAmericans has increased. This violence has resulted in riots across the United States. The August 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri many Americans, some who are former Civil Rights activists, have spoken out against police brutality. Black Lives Matter states that the movement’s goal is to bring justice to the present unjust police killings of African Americans. Looking at prior cases of brutality and its connection to racial profiling, such as the police shooting of Ronald Stokes in 1962Read MoreRacial Tensions By Dennis Prager922 Words   |  4 PagesLeft’s falsehood of ‘racial tensions’ is based on the actual behavior of the vast majority of white Americans, nothing white America can do will affect the perceptions of many black Americans or of the leftist libel.† This quote defends the idea that in most cases, the racial tension is one sided and without clear evidence. One of the most recent national conflicts deals with the shooting and killing of Michael Brown (a black man) by a white police officer (Holder Announces Ferguson Probe, Review ofRead MorePolice Brutality And Its Effects1173 Words   |  5 Pagesexample the Eric Garner case, Ferguson and many more. There were 382 fatalities reported relating to police brutality. It is violating someone s rights if police brutality is practiced. If police brutality happens, it is violating someone s eighth amendment Constitutional right regarding cruel and unusual punishment. American citizens are outraged by police misconduct and how police officers handle situations using too much excessive force, which can cause riots. Police brutality has been increasingRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1465 Words   |  6 PagesRacial Profiling Racial Profiling is just what it is. Targeting individuals for suspicion of a violation determined by the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. Race and location are the supreme characteristics law enforcement visually examine when engaging in this type of profiling. African-American males are the primary victims of racial profiling in the United States. The phrase â€Å"driving while black† derive from African Americans protesting that they are pulled over by policeRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Justice System994 Words   |  4 Pagesdescription. This behavior is referred to as racial profiling and it is killing, wrongfully accusing and creating division amongst the people and justice system. The justice system must redesign the policy and procedures, which relate to racial profiling, because it is not protecting the rights of the people, it is attacking them. Even though racial profiling has built walls between the people and the justice system, at the same time racial profiling has driven away unwanted terrorist’s attacks similarRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1160 Words   |  5 Pagesby police and many other people for committing crimes. This is called racial profiling, and it is an issue going on around us. Some considers racial profiling a new phenomenon, and it is important to examine it because it is a foundational aspect of law and law enforcement in the United States. Glover in the book Racial Profiling: Research, Racism, and Resistance defines racial profiling in contemporary times â€Å"as the use of racial and or ethnic status as the determinant factor in decision to stop motoristRead MoreRacism : The Criminal Justice System1040 Words   |  5 PagesKing Jr. to Ferguson, Missouri. The path that racism takes is from old time’s point of view. The way to clear up racism in our criminal justice system is simple and easy. Americans need to fully understand the idea of equality. Second, police need to stop doing racial profiling. Finally, the criminal justice system needs to be kinder to different races. Americans need to abolish the idea that racism needs to be alive. The criminal justice system does still do a bit of racial profiling. First, americansRead MoreRacism in America: From Jim Crow to Trayvon Martin1758 Words   |  7 Pages Racism is an issue that has always troubled the United States since its beginning. From the time of slavery to the Jim Crow laws that followed the passing of the 13th Amendment; from the Civil Rights era to the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots in LA; from anger over apartheid in Africa to support of Nelson Mandela by Americans both black and white; from the shooting of Trayvon Martin to the acquittal of George Zimmerman every generation has had to confront the issue of race and racism. ThisRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States1560 Words   |  7 Pageslook suspicious. Whether the person is African American, Hispanic, Indian, or Muslim, racial profiling is wrong. With all of the recent controversy surrounding the problem, one would think that it would occur much less but that is not the case. Racial profiling has caused a recent uproar in America, and it has becom e the reason why many people have turned their backs on law enforcement for good. â€Å"Racial profiling is the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials targeting individuals forRead MoreRacial Profiling And The United States2227 Words   |  9 Pagesshopping, either knowingly or unknowingly has been a victim of some type of racial profiling. People need to realize that racial profiling happens very often to innocent people that are targeted based on race and sometimes religion. Racial profiling can be defined as when an individual is stopped or detained because they are perceived to be more likely to be involved in some sort of criminal activity (Ward, 2002, 726). Racial profiling has been a huge issue in our society for many years especially for African