United States of America's problem regarding institutional racial profiling: The brutality of police towards blacks under surveillance, 1990-2004

Date of Publication

2006

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in International Studies Major in American Studies

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

International Studies

Abstract/Summary

The study was focused on United States of America's problem regarding Institutional Racial Profiling: the brutality of police towards blacks under surveillance, 1990-2004.

The study began by tackling the beginning of white aggression against blacks by white Americans began in the 19th century. White Americans developed the group called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) which intimidates the African-American slaves and rioters. To prevent these rioters from protesting, the white policemen started to become brutal, harassing each and everyone who were subversive. Until the mid-20th century, after slavery was abolished, the KKK was revived and their perception of whites towards blacks remained the same.

At present, racial profiling has become more rampant. Racial profiling of police institutions and police brutality in the United States began in the late 1970s where it started as drug courier profile, suspecting minorities as symbols for drug trafficking. This kind of profiling against black Americans became the problem of law enforcement agencies especially 81 police institutions. Many white police officers were having trouble in resolving this issue, because for many years profiling against black Americans as criminals by police institutions became a trend, as the authors may say it.

The authors studied several cases of racial profiling and police brutality against African- Americans. White policemen were accused of using race as hard evidence or basis for criminals. They target minorities, especially the blacks, unreasonably. In the cases that the authors have studied, these blacks were brutally harassed by whites and others lost their lives.

The authors observed that as the society became more aware of the issue of institutional racism and brutality, concerned people started creating minority and humanity unions, such as the American Civil Liberty Union, targeting the government to create special laws and bills to protect their kind and change the trend of police in their activities. Today, 28 states have created several bills and laws to protect minorities and training the law enforcers to prevent them from being discriminating in their traffic activities. There are still five states, and a few small towns, which have pending laws about the issue, but the remaining states still have no action regarding the matter. These bills and laws aim to make the law enforcers start collecting data about traffic stops and other police activities. They were obliged to collect necessary information regarding their activities so that it would be monitored by the higher institutions. The 28 states started to comply with the rules and regulations that were given to them by higher authorities. This was a difficult challenge to the United States, especially the 28 states that passed the laws protecting and disciplining the police officers. Other small towns were still not following the laws. Some 82 state laws were only voluntary. And almost half of the United States do not care and have no laws to protect blacks and other minorities.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Accession Number

CDTU014123

Shelf Location

Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall

Physical Description

1 computer optical disc ; 4 3/4 in.

Keywords

Racial profiling in law enforcement--United States; Discrimination in law enforcement--United States; Discrimination in criminal justice administration--United States

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