Racism In Public Space Essay - 1287 Words

Life is very difficult in public spaces. It not only has the twists and turns but, for minorities, is racist. Ever since the slave days, African Americans have known to be cautious around police. A few decades ago, the Jim Crow laws legalized separation of races in numerous public spaces. Most blacks have had to adapt to racism and profiling, which is by police due to the white majority in American cities. The recent epidemic of police shootings has made the situation even more worrisome. One can see the effects of this in the streets, the television, and most importantly, the police. Racism in public space influences police perceptions of African Americans through civilian shootings, community emotions, separation between whites and†¦show more content†¦Not excluded, to Zimmerman, racism in the culture of Sanford affected the police as deeply as the citizens. Racism in public space influences police perceptions of African Americans through community emotions. There were various opinions in Sanford natives after Martin’s death about the racism of police and the overall community. The black natives there felt that police â€Å"only get but one side,† (Onwuachi-Willig 1166). The racial minority felt total abandonment from the police in important times of stress and grief. In expression of how the other side of the community felt, a white neighbor of Zimmerman said of the unity of Caucasians and of African Americans in Sandford that â€Å"they don’t want to be with us and we don’t want to be with them,† (Onwuachi-Willig 1177). It is not a surprise that community emotions were filled with anger in both blacks and whites and the police proved themselves unable to provide help. Emotions cannot just influence one’s opinions of the community, but one’s opinions of their job. The racial community div ide shown within these quotes extends far beyond Sanford county and the state of Florida. It is paramount across many American communities and cites. Whites fear those of black color and implicit fear is common within this majority. In a recent NYC study, whites showed to feel the most comfortable with the police and least likely to view police brutality as a problem compared to minorities (Fine, et al. 149). While many blacksShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Big Boy Leaves Home By Richard Wright1389 Words   |  6 Pages In the essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space,† Brent Staples sheds light on the lingering stereotypes and racism against African-American men in a post-civil rights society. Staples discusses personal instances when he has made a woman uncomfortable simply due to his presence in public. He describes a time when he was casually walking behind a woman with plenty of distance between them, but then she looked back and â€Å"picked up her pace and was so on running†¦Ã¢â‚¬  away from him in fear (Staples). 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