PUBLIC SAFETY

Black Communities Deserve Peace, Not a Boot on Their Neck

An essay about the escalation of racial profiling during Trump Era

Shirtless man with hand on face | Photo by Mad Knoxx Deluxe via Pexels

Black people, like any other group, deserve to live in peace. But, far too often, racial profiling infringes upon that basic right. When someone assumes you’ve done something wrong simply because of your race or color, it makes day-to-day life more stressful. A Pew Research poll found more than eight out of ten Black people felt they were treated “less fairly than White people by police, the criminal justice system.” The problem isn’t new, as the tactics adopted by modern-day law enforcement clearly echo those established by slave patrols. However, the Trump administration has exacerbated this problem by ordering National Guard and other federal officers to patrol cities. This boots-on-the-ground approach seems ironic in light of declining crime rates.

Officials have targeted cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, and most recently, Memphis, Tennessee, where National Guard personnel were seen patrolling alongside police officers. “Trump has suggested sending troops to a handful more of cities, including New Orleans, New York City, Baltimore, San Francisco, Oakland, and St. Louis, M.O., citing safety concerns,” according to reporting by Juliana…