Racial Profiling Thesis

Axia College
March, M.
5/22/11

Introduction Racial profiling has been an issue in the United States since the beginning of time. Racial profiling is more of a problem today than before but has been a problem since slavery. The main target of racial profiling is African American males. It seems that the larger cities in the United State have this problems the most, for example, Los Angeles and New York. There are stories daily of racial profiling by the police in the United States. African American males are stopped in traffic stops more often than any other race. Police officers, just like a lot of people in society, stereotype African American men. The police believe African American men are most likely taking part in some type of criminal
activity. African American males are not the only race that is racially profiled; Muslims, Arabs, and Mexicans are too. There is also racial profiling for African America males when they are trying to get a job. In the United States racial profiling is against the law but police officers seem to get a pass and they do it every day.
Statistics
Though African Americans make up about twelve percent of the national population, they represent close to half of those who are incarcerated for crimes, according to official incarceration data.
An estimated twelve percent of African American men ages twenty to thirty-four were either in jail or prison in 2002. Researchers with the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimate that twenty-eight percent of African American males will be jailed or imprisoned at some point in their life (Coker, D. 2003). A lot of these men that are incarcerated were stopped walking, riding a bike, or driving just because they are African American. The statistics make it seem like African Americans commit more crimes than any over race and that’s not true. If the police stopped the other races half as many times as they stop African Americans, the incarceration rate would be more
equal.
Traffic Stops Police officers have the right to stop anyone they want to, however, them stopping and interrogating certain races and ethnic groups is considered racial profiling.
It is a known fact that African American males are the target of these types of traffic stops. African Americans males do have the most criminal records but usually they are stopped because of their vehicle, their skin color, how many people are in their car, or minor traffic stop. These types of racial profiling cases have caused serious injuries and even death of some African American males, for example, Sean Bell and Rodney King. In both of these cases, the incidents are found to be racially motivated and the police used excessive force. Sean Bell is shot 50 times by five plainclothes NYPD detectives on November 25 in front of Kalua Cabaret nightclub in Jamaica, Queens, where his bachelor party was held hours before his wedding. Law enforcement were to claim that they had reason to believe the men Bell was with had a gun, yet no weapon was recovered (Barker, J., 2008). On March 3, 1991, Rodney King was hit with a baton 56 times, kicked six times, and hit with a taser twice after a traffic stop. The two incidents are only two of many incidents that have happened in the United
States.
Other Races Racial profiling is not limited to just African American males. There are other races that are victims of racial profiling. September 11, 2001 was a horrible day for the United Sates but this day lead to the racial profiling of Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians but African American males have been racially profiled since the beginning of time. After the attacks in 2001, when Muslims and Arabs were trying to board planes they were racially profile. They filed suit against the airports, some have been settled but some are still pending. Muslims and Arabs have been held by law enforcement officers for immigration violations, just because of their race. Arabs are being racial profiled sociologically, politically, and racially because of the attacks on September 11. United States law enforcement targeted Muslims and Arabs but most of the people they arrested were not Arabs; Richard Reid is British; Zacaria Moussawi is French; and John Walker Lindh and Josem Padilla are American (Jadallah and el-Khoury, 2010). For many Latinos, however, the color of their skin alone is an equally visible—and immutable—marker of their ancestry. In this sense, color can serve as the equivalent of a license plate or bumper sticker which labels an individual and subjects him or her to racial and ethnic stereotypes (Muchetti, A. E. 2005). In Arizona a Latino homeowner was shot six times in the back, while holding an intruder at gunpoint that he caught inside his home. The homeowner, Anthony Arambula, wife had informed the police officer that her husband had the intruder at gunpoint and Arambula was on the phone with 911. The entire incident was caught on the 911 tape. The police were even caught on the 911 tape planning the cover-up. That was definite case of racial profiling and discrimination.
Court Systems
The United States court system is built racially. African American males that sell drugs and usually the drug of their choice to sell is crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is a non-violent crime that carries more time than rape, molesting, assault, burglary, and even some homicides. I personally know a man who molested a five year old, disabled child and got three years in prison and this was not the first time he had committed an act against a child. A person getting caught selling crack cocaine will receive about 10 to 15 years on a second offense drug charge. That is why African American males make up 49% of all the men in prison but they only make up 14% of the population in the United States. African American men do commit other crimes and they should be punished but the time given out for selling crack (a non-violent crime) should be less than violent crimes. The National Institute of Drug Abuse says that 12 % of all drug users are African American and they make up almost 50% of all drug arrest. In Georgia African Americans make up less than one-third of the population but African American males are arrested five times more for drugs than white men. From 1990 to recent 75% of the inmates are African American males that are incarcerated for drug charges and 97.7% of African American males are sentenced to life for drug charges in Georgia.
Employment
African America males employment opportunities are slim because they are discriminated against because of the color of their skin, their gender, and being stereotyped. African American males have the highest unemployment rate amongst men. It is 17%, whereas, white men unemployment rate is 7.1%. Since the 1980s to current, African American employment opportunities have declined. If they are employed they are given the lowest level job in the company. The reason the African American males employment continue to decline is because the employers racial profile African American males without giving them a chance. People have a negative stereotype, bias, and perception of African American males as soon as they see them. This way of thinking takes away any chance of an African American male progressing in the job market free of hostility and prejudice. The combination of an African American male’s skin color and gender contributes to how the employers view him so it is not skin or gender that cause them to be treated this way. The African American male’s race and gender creates the bias.
Conclusion
Racial profiling will always be an issue in the United States. The problem seems to be getting worst especially for African American males. African American males are not the only ones racially profiled; Arabs, Muslims, and Mexicans are too. Police officers have been racial profiling for year and feel they do it because they are not held accountable for their actions. I do not believe they should be above the law. In the three cases of Sean Bell, Rodney King, and Anthony Arambula, these men were badly hurt and one even died. In these cases the police were reduced to desk duty, suspended with pay, or minimum jail time. The police do most of their racial profiling through traffic stops. Just because the police see an African American male in a fancy car they automatically assume they are doing some illegal activity. African American male are racial profiled while trying to get employment. They are automatically stereotyped because of their skin color. I believe the answer to racial profiling is education. If people take time out to get to know about other races maybe they will not be so ignorant to other races.

Barker, J. (2008). Sean Bell: The timeline. New York Amsterdam News, 99(10), 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Coker, D. (2003). FOREWORD: ADDRESSING THE REAL WORLD OF RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 93(4), 827. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Jadallah, D., & el-Khoury, L. (2010). STATE POWER AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL: RACIAL PROFILING OF ARAB AMERICANS. Arab Studies Quarterly, 32(4), 218. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Muchetti, A. E. (2005). Driving While Brown: A Proposal for Ending Racial Profiling in Emerging Latino Communities. Harvard Latino Law Review, 81-32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.