Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Crime in the Media Fall 2020

When discussing criminal offenses, race is always a part of the discussion. More specifically African Americans committing crime is the topic of discussion. According to Chanel4.com, “Blacks were disproportionately likely to commit a crime and to be the victims. In 2008 the offending rate for blacks was seven times higher than for whites and the victimization rate was six times higher.”. Chanel4.com statistics show that blacks are more likely to commit a crime than any other race. It also states that African Americans rate at which a black person offends is seven times higher than whites. One may ask why is this found to be true? African Americans, typically, are products of their environments. This theory can be found in differential association. Differential association theory proves that through the interactions a person associates themselves with, they eventually observe the behaviors of others and imitate those same behaviors. The individual learns the attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior (citation, i.e. Sutherland, 1939). Blacks are involved at all points in the criminal justice system at higher rates than whites. Furthermore, African Americans, when facing criminal penalties, deal with racial disparities while moving through the justice system. It is common for blacks to receive excessive bail, unreasonable punishments, and incompetent public defenders. According to Sentencingprojects.org, “ Prosecutors are more likely to charge people of color with crimes that carry heavier sentences than whites. Federal prosecutors, for example, are twice as likely to charge African Americans with offenses that carry a mandatory minimum sentence than similarly situated whites.”. Sentencingproject.org shows prosecutors are more willing to charge blacks with heavier sentences than whites for the same crime. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system, for years now, have had illegitimate convictions when detaining African Americans. 

The miniseries, When They See Us, is a drama series directed by Ava DuVernay produced in 2019. When They See Us is based on a true story that depicts the events of the Central Park Jogger case. The film starts with the five adolescents being accused of raping and assaulting Trisha Meli. The detectives interrogating the kids are shown coercing the five into admitting their involvement in the assault, despite each originally stating they did not commit any crimes. Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor, failed to uphold their rights throughout their proceedings by not having their parents present, allowing the coercion to take place, and charging them with lengthy sentences despite their ages. As the film progresses it shows the struggles of the five adolescents while in prison. Richardson, Santana, Salaam, and McCray’s sentences were shortened after admitting they committed the crimes charged against them. However, Korey Wise was charged as an adult and sentenced to fifteen years in prison due to him entering a not guilty plea. Once Richardson, Santana, Salaam, and McCray time was completed the film showed the challenges they were faced with while being considered a felon. Housing and jobs were hard for the four to find since they were felons. On the other hand, Korey Wise suffered extreme violence and abuse while being in the adult prison. To escape this torture, he would purposely get placed in solitary confinement. In the end, Korey met Matias in which he confessed to the rape and assault of Trisha Meli. The five were paid reparations for their time and all offenses were expunged from their record. 

Ava DuVernay’s film indicated an accurate portrayal of how blacks are put against the justice system that consistently fails them. When analyzing crime, race has to be considered for the reasons of what the five teens had to experience. Their rights had been disregarded ordinarily. They were not listened to or protected by the justice system when being interrogated. Korey, while in prison, was not ensured by law authorities to such an extent he deliberately placed himself in solitary confinement. To some, solitary confinement is considered one of the worst places to be while in prison, however, this was Korey’s safe place. At the time, Fairstein was pressured to discover the guilty parties who carried out the brutal wrongdoings against Meli in which the five teenagers with a criminal past were seen as an ideal fit. Society has made these injustices deemed to be fair. In class, it is discussed how racial injustices and disparities affect African Americans. Law officials have adapted race-neutral policies. They consider race before the actual crime committed when sentencing and contemplating pleas. When They See Us confirms the ideas discussed in class by expanding on the fact that racial injustice in the world is real. According to Policing the Black Man, Henning (2018) states “ black boys are policed like no one else, not even black men. They are targeted, stopped, and harassed. They are not viewed as boys but as dangerous criminals even when they are not engaging in criminal activity”.  This applies to the film because it shows why the five teens were so easily targeted for the rape and assault of Trisha Meli. Korey Wise went to the station to support his friend Yusef, in which during the time the crime took place he was out to eat with his girlfriend. However, due to Wise being present at the station, he was also targeted which applies to Hening’s belief that boys are targeted even if not participating in criminal behaviors. The film portrays race as a social construct because it allows individuals within a society to determine how they treat one another. Race constructs how one is viewed in their community before becoming acquainted with that individual. 

In conclusion, When They See Us is a great film that shows the challenges of what being black in America is like. Situations, as the five kids experienced, are unfair and enraging. The justice system should work on ways to do better at securing African American rights. They are entitled to due process and equality when being tried for a crime. Stereotypes of blacks should be aborted when law officials are trying a case. Why have amendments if authority figures are not going to follow them? When They See Us is a film I would recommend for others to watch when trying to get a good grasp of what obstacles African Americans face. The color of anyone’s skin should not characterize how they are treated. Until the world ends racial injustices, race and crime will always consistently be associated. One can only hope that in time all races can come together as one and reconstruct what the founding fathers attempted to build. 

References:

Davis, Angela J. Policing the Black Man: Arrest, Prosecution, and Imprisonment. , 2018. Print.

Report to the United Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System. (2018, May 1). The Sentencing Project. https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/un-report-on-racial-disparities/

Finn, H. (2019, September 20). “When They See Us” Reveals the Heartbreaking Truth About Korey Wise. Good Housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a27757516/korey-wise-central-park-five/

Worrall, P. (2014, November 27). FactCheck: do black Americans commit more crime? Channel 4 News. https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-black-americans-commit-crime