Gender, Race, and Class in Today’s America

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 21.02.07

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Learning Objectives:
  4. Historical-Effects of Slavery on the African American Male
  5. Historical- Effects of Slavery on the White Slave Master
  6. According to Douglass, on his White Slave Master:
  7. Court Cases on Race:
  8. The African American Male – Today
  9. Evolution of Policing in America
  10. Policing Styles
  11. Law Enforcement
  12. Solutions:  Police Reform
  13. The Future – Positive Anticipation
  14. Teaching Strategy
  15. Lesson Essential Questions:
  16. Course Activities:
  17. Content Standards:
  18. Annotated Bibliography
  19. Research Sources
  20. Sources
  21. Notes
  22. Appendix on Implementing District Standards

American Policing Disparities: Today’s African-American Males Living in the Shadows of their Male Ancestors

Christine Freeman Shaub

Published September 2021

Tools for this Unit:

Law Enforcement

The statistics as stated earlier, show a disparity in police contact with African American males.  The killing of unarmed African American males brings a question as to why there are police officers on the force that seem to have a vendetta against African American males.  In looking at history, there are implications and assumptions that can be made.  Police officers hold power and authority.  The same was true during the slavery period.  Is it possible for the history of the white slave master’s mentality to prevail in contemporary times through the conduct of white police officers on the streets of urban communities of color?  Oral history of the slave has been passed down through generations. The same oral history and ideology of power and authority of the slave master could have been passed down when interacting with African American males for white law enforcement officers.  

According to Foreman (2017), “Many of the first police forces in the South were funded as slave patrols, explicitly charged with catching, beating, and returning runaway slaves”29  This development would be reasonable since those whites that were charged with apprehending the runaway slaves were given the authority to use force and their discretion when taking the slaves into custody.  The white slave master seemed to take great pleasure in whipping slaves.30  Some may ask if police officers on the force today have continued this historical ideology in taking pleasure in hurting African American males?  In posing this question, the recent 2020 case of Mr. George Floyd’s killing by police officer Derek Chauvin could be used as an example.  Officer Chauvin placing his knee on the neck of Mr. Floyd, as he pleaded for a breath and Officer Chauvin ignoring him, rises to the question posed here.  This power and authority seemed to be reflected by the physical stance Officer Chauvin exhibited with his hands in his pocket unfazed by the crowd of people pleading for him to let up off of Mr. Floyd’s neck so that he could breathe.  Sadly, Mr. Floyd died because of Officer Chauvin’s actions.  Courts and the judiciary must hold police accountable for acts of violence against unarmed black men.  In Officer Chauvin’s case, justice was served.  Again, this could be an example of historical perspectives of how white officers view African American males they encounter.

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