Running head: FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT

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Justin Rose

ETHS 2410

Javier Campos

Final Research Project: Black on Black Crime

Thursday April 20th 2017

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Abstract

This document is an overview of the statistics of black on black crime. The

introduction illustrates the why black on black crime is commonly

misunderstood. The causes and influences of black on black crime are

discussed in the second subtopic followed by the consequences of said

crimes. The last subtopic talk about potential intervention or solutions to the

problems addressed.

Keywords: black on black crime, mass incarceration, poverty, legislation,

felony
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Final Research Project: Black on Black Crime

Synopsis

Over the span of the 20th century, the statistics involving black on

black crime have escalated to unprecedented levels. There are many

different ways that people can interpret these numbers, one being that white

America has minimal influence on this issue. The purpose of the paper is to

try and illustrate that this is a myth. Many different factors contribute to the

boom of black on black crime, one being the consequences of entering the

criminal Justice system. These consequences take away important rights

that would allow the black community to change policies affecting their

quality of life. More importantly, criminal consequences of drug possession,

which favor communities of wealth, have set up communities of color and

poverty to be disadvantaged. There are a large amount of cities in America

that continue to be largely segregated based on race. Redlining, something

that we learned about during an in class presentation, is largely responsible

for the density of neighborhoods of color. These factors and consequences

have strategically placed the black community, as well as other communities

of color, at a disadvantage. This is not their doing. White America is primarily

responsible for these disadvantages leading to the rise of black on black

crime. Until we recognize this and take action Americas perpetual system of
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prejudice will continue to keep black communities fighting against

themselves.

Recognizing the Cause

Until 1948 it was legal for homeowners to deny African Americans the

right to buy or live in a house (Vaidyanathan, 2016). Many communities

posted signs stated that Jews and people of color were not allowed to even

be there. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, made it illegal to discriminate based

on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, but that didnt stop

community segregation, which peaked in 1970 (Vaidyanathan, 2016).

Redlining, by definition is a discriminatory practice by which banks,

insurance companies, etc., refuse or limit loans, mortgages, insurances, etc.,

within specific geographic areas, especially inner city

neighborhoods.(Dictionary, n.d.) This wasnt legally outlawed until the mid-

1970s (Vaidyanathan, 2016). Redlining, along with prejudice in the workplace

and the hiring process kept African Americans concentrated and in poverty.

The War on Drugs, the American crisis that led to a governmental

campaign towards the prohibition of drugs, was devastating for communities

of poverty and especially African Americans. Crack cocaine, a cheaper form

of powder cocaine, became extremely prevalent in communities of poverty.

At the time, those communities where primarily inhabited by people of color.

During this American era, criminal justice reform took place making the

punishment for possession crack cocaine one hundred times harsher than for

that of powder cocaine, a more potent substance (DuVernay, 2016). Many

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believe that this was the governments way to funnel people of color into the

criminal justice system. Irrelevant of the intentions, communities of poverty

and color witnessed mass arrests, which started the process of what is now

known as mass incarceration. Another important consequence of the War on

Drugs is the three-strike policy. The three-strike policy passed by President

Bill Clinton, created legislation stating that any three-time federal offenders

would serve a life sentence. Drug violations, to this day, are considered a

federal offense (DuVernay, 2016). Because of this, along with other

consequences of being a felon, a perpetual cycle keeping black communities

in poverty has come to fruition.

The Consequences of Being a Felon

When someone commits a federal crime, they become a felon. They

may or may not serve jail time. The thing that they all have in common is the

consequences they face in the world outside of incarceration. These

consequences make opportunities for social mobility extremely difficult

especially for communities of poverty and, as discussed earlier, those

communities are primarily communities of color. For starters, once a felon,

individuals lose the right to be a voting member of society (DuVernay, 2016).

Their voice and a citizen of America is gone so now, even if they feel like

they are being mistreated by governmental policy, they have no

opportunities to change it. This deprivation of voting rights is called

disenfranchisement and unequally effects the African American population in

the United States. To give some perspective, according to the documentary

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The 13th, one out of every three black males see jail time, and African

Americans are 5.1 times more likely to be incarcerated than whites

(DuVernay, 2016). The fact that a massive population of African Americans

has lost their right to vote due to disenfranchisement is just the beginning.

Due to the concentration of black felons who reside in communities of

poverty, the opportunities to achieve financial security once release from jail

is near impossible. The lack of lucrative opportunities for work in these

communities coupled with a felony charge on their record makes it difficult to

find work of any sort. Despite welfare programs designed to assist these

individuals, in 1996, the federal government passed legislation reforming

welfare. In Section 115 of the reform, the bill states that persons convicted

of a state or federal felony offence involving the use or sale of drugs are

subject to a lifetime ban on receiving cash assistance and food

stamps(Allard, 2002). Without financial assistance or food stamps, felons do

not have the recourses necessary to establish the financial means for a

healthy life. This is what has led many African Americans to participate in

criminal acts in order to survive.

Black on Black Crime: A Matter of Survival

It is evident that many members of the African American community

do not have the capability to build a stable lifestyle for themselves post-

incarceration. Many stuck in this situation turn to illegal activities, like selling

drugs, robbery, and violent crime, in order to achieve the finances to survive.
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It is important to realize is that when multiple people in the same community

are fighting for their lives, not everyone can end up on the winning end. If

everybody was selling drugs, who would be buying them? If nobody were

robbing one another, there would be no such robbery. The criminal justice

system has put African Americans in a position in which they must fight

against one another to survive. This is what has led to the prevalence of

gang violence in America as well as the increase of black on black crime.

Because of the frequency that black males are incarcerated for large

amounts of time, many African Americans grow up without male role models.

According to Thomas Sowell, In 2013, over 72 percent of black were born

out of wedlock. In Cook County which Chicago belongs to 79 percent of

blacks were born to single mothers(Bandler, 2016). In single parent families,

the primary caretaker is usually working most of the day. Many young black

males turn to gang violence in order to feel accepted and find meaning.

Although African Americans make up only thirteen percent of the population

in the US, they commit more crime than the sixty two percent of White

Americans (Bandler, 2016). To be more specific, statistics taken by the FBI in

2013 state that 38 percent of murders are carried out by black criminals,

compared to 31.1 percent for Whites. The sad truth is that 93 percent of

black homicide victims are killed by other blacks (Bandler, 2016). To top it

off, it is illegal for felons to possess a firearm(ProCon, 2017), which, in the

aforementioned situation, is imperative for survival. It is also important to

note that this just perpetuates the amount of individuals from these
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communities that get charged with federal offenses continuing this cycle.

Black on black crime has been minimized and is claimed to be an inter-

communal problem. In reality, it is Americas problem. The nation has

created it, and now it is our job as a nation to correct it.

What We Can Do

The most important topic of conversation is what we can do to remedy

the situation. Policy change is where we can really make a dent in the issue.

Giving felons the right to vote is essential in order for them to better their

own situations. This goes back to voting, talking to your representatives, and

making people more aware of the growing problem. Another important step

would be to have more resources for felons to find work when they get out of

jail. Retracting welfare reform and giving felons federal aid and food stamps

will give them an opportunity to survive without criminal activity. Community

outreach programs for young males are extremely important. Growing up

without a quality role model can be devastating for the hope of a safe

lifestyle. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD) works hard to make sure that the fair housing act is upheld, reducing

redlining, and keeping communities of color out of positions of poverty.

Though I believe that community outreach can help, policy change, as well

as building awareness, is what will really make the difference. Changing

punishment for drug offenses is very important. These changes have already

started. The aforementioned three strike rule was rewritten in 2015(Ali,

2015), and the average jail time for crack users in getting closer to those
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that use cocaine (Kurtzleben, 2010). There is power in numbers, and if more

people are aware of this situation than there is a better chance to save black

lives.
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References

ProCon.org. (2008). Other than voting, what other privileges/rights do felons lose? Retrieved

from http://felonvoting.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000672

Ali, R. (2015). Supreme court strikes down unconstitutional three strikes law. Retrieved from

http://www.mintpressnews.com/supreme-court-strikes-down-unconstitutional-three-

strikes-law/207222/

Kurtzleben, D. (2010). Data show racial disparity in crack sentencing. Retrieved from

https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/08/03/data-show-racial-disparity-in-crack-

sentencing

Williams, J. (2016). White men vs. black men prison statistics 2016: why are more african

american males incarcerated?. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/white-men-vs-

black-men-prison-statistics-2016-why-are-more-african-american-males-2426793

Bandler, A. (2016). 7 statistics you need to know about black-on-black crime. Retrieved from

http://www.dailywire.com/news/7441/7-statistics-you-need-know-about-black-black-

crime-aaron-bandler

Vaidyanathan, R. (2016). Why dont black and white Americans live together? Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35255835

DuVernay, A. (Director). (2016). 13th [Video file]. United States: Netflix. Retrieved from

https://www.netflix.com/watch/80091741?

trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2Ca0d0b9d1dd21ee95f4164d68bf3957cc360bd4b6%3

A45144b99d3b70a446e8fe00c2b818b9f5809ec74

[Arts Entertainment Sports]. (2016, July 3). Crips and Bloods: Made in America. [Video File].
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Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_VDWLBhsDM.

Staples, R. (2011). White power, black crime, and racial politics. The Black Scholar, 41(4), 31-

41.

Garcia, J.J., & Sharif, M.Z. (2015). Black lives matter: A commentary on racism and public

health. American Journal of Public Health, 105(8), e27-e30.

Smith, J.R. (2015). Unequal burdens of loss: Examining the frequency and timing of homicidal

deaths experienced by young black men across the life course. Research and Practice,

105(S3), S482-S490.