Recent events in Louisiana and Minnesota reflect a long and dark history between African American males and police officers who patrol in the communities where they reside.
The fact is that, in many cases, it is a white male officer and an African American male suspect who becomes a victim. This is the legacy of policing in the African American community to the extent that the outcome becomes predictable. It fuels a reaction from a cross section of people who see images that suggest police officers don’t value the lives of African Americans.
The question, then, becomes, why are African American police officers not involved in shooting unarmed African American males at the rate that white.
This question is relevant, particularly because African American officers engage in police misconduct at a rate comparable to white officers, and they treat African Americans equally as badly — and in some cases worse — as white officers do.
Continue reading this piece by social work professor Terrence Allen in the Forth Worth Star Telegram.