Angela Davis, Policing the Black Man: Arrest, Prosecution, and Imprisonment

Excerpt

In Policing the Black Man Angela Davis examines the oppressive nature of the criminal justice system from pre-arrest to conviction, sentencing, and beyond. Despite this topic’s prominence in scholarly literature these days, Policing the Black Man is unique in that it is an anthological work pulling together the perspectives of legal scholars, social scientists, and officials from civil rights groups such as the national Association for the Advancement of Colored People. These perspectives provide the reader with a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of racism and how it has ultimately led to the disenfranchisement of Black men and boys in modern society. Davis reveals that the evolution of oppression and racism in America is a deeply cultural one; an evolution that has allowed racism to slither its way into the policies that undergird the criminal justice system. Davis calls for a reconstruction of our criminal justice system by way of education and cultural enlightenment. By educating criminal justice officials about the history of oppression and the far-reaching impact of racial implicit bias, officials within the criminal justice system can begin to re-evaluate its purpose with the express purpose, especially where Black men are concerned. …