The Problem of Racial Profiling

We are taught that slavery ended thousands of years ago. It wasn't until the early 1960's segregation would end, allowing all races to be in the same room together. Slavery ending meant that African Americans would finally be free. After years and years of fighting for equality, it finally happened. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, ending segregation throughout the world, overruling the separate but equal laws. However, what we expected was the opposite from reality. Even though both segregation and slavery ended, there are still many problems African Americans and many other races face in society today. Social injustice is the unfairness or injustice of events in a society. Even though there are thousands of social injustices throughout the world, one that affects me the most is racial profiling. Racial profiling is when people are suspected of committing a crime based on their race or ethnicity.

Racial profiling is a major problem in our society today. Even though it can happen to any race, I mostly notice it occurs amongst African Americans. I chose to write about racial profiling because I've seen it happen not only to others, but to me. Today in America we must live in fear everyday due to all the things we hear going on in our society. Even though some may disagree I feel as though being black in America is hard. We constantly must watch our back. Not only from others, but from the people who are supposed to protect us; law enforcement. Due to what is portrayed on the news about African Americans, the majority in our society assumes the worst from us. They hear things that is always being said about African Americans and assume it's everybody of that race. Being that they expect the worst from us, so many opportunities we hope to pursue can't be accomplished. In most cases jobs doesn't want to hire African Americans for certain positions because they feel as though they can't trust them. For example, if a cashier position was open and 2 people from different races decided to apply; one being black and the other caucasian, the caucasian person is most likely going to receive that position. It's been many cases in which people suspected an African American of doing a crime but had no evidence it was them. Yet, because of their skin color they were blamed.

A perfect example of racial profiling is the Kalief Browder story. He was a 16-year-old boy when he was accused of stealing a backpack containing valuable items. Even though there wasn't any evidence leading him to the crime, he was thrown in jail because he just so happened to be an African American, as described by the victim. He was left in jail for three years and never received a trial. Jail damaged him to the point where he attempted to kill himself several times. Being so young in jail with older men, he was constantly picked on. He had no other choice, but to fight to protect himself. As a result, he was placed in solitary confinement for two years. He was locked in a cell for 23 hours a day and was only allowed to go outside in a cell for 1 hour. Three years later he was set free because there was no evidence to convict him to the heinous crime. Even though he was released, he was mentally damaged. Being placed in jail at such a young age ruined him. Sadly, on June 6,2015 he committed suicide in his Bronx home. He never got the opportunity to live the rest of his teenage years as any other teenager would have. He couldn't live his life because he was suspected of a crime he didn't do by being racially profiled.

There are thousands of victims affected by racial profiling. Kalief so happened to be one of thousands that couldn't beat it just like Trayvon Martin. There have been numerous occasions in which I entered a store and was followed because they assumed I was up to no good. At this point in society being African American and young, you can't even walk into a high-end store without at least one person eyeing you down. It came to the point where I didn't even want to shop at that one specific store. I don't believe racial profiling will ever end. People are going to always be cautious because they expect the worst from us. Even though it is portrayed that African Americans act a certain way doesn't mean that everyone from that race are the same. I feel as though laws should be set to control it because we're basically being harassed based on the color of our skin. This social injustice is happening all over the United States. They call America the land of the free, but we are still being held back from our freedom because of allegations based on the color of our skin.

It is sad that we must live in a society in which we fear the ones who are supposed to protect us. There are thousands of social injustices throughout the world. Racial profiling being one of those thousands affects me the most. I hate that young people are placed in jail because of their race and aren't set free until 20+ years later, due to no evidence. Jail can ruin a person's life which is why so many people end up going back to jail. Racial profiling young people and throwing them in jail is setting them up for failure. Even though there won't be a charge on their record, they will be mentally damaged and unable to function because they are institutionalized. This is one of the main reasons why many black males only make it to the age of 25.

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