Shadows of Justice: How Police Brutality Against Black People Continues to Shape a Nation’s Psyche
There was a time in American history when the act of lynching black individuals was used as a form of mob justice that often turned into a public exhibition.
Lynching was not only a form of murder but also a spectacle for the perpetrators. It frequently took on the atmosphere of a party, complete with revelry akin to a sporting event. The atmosphere was electric, and the perpetrators were often in a state of frenzy. To those gathered, it was a sport hunting down and killing black people in some of the most heinous ways imaginable.
Victims were frequently stripped of their clothing and severely beaten during the lead-up to the execution. At times the torture became so vicious that audible gasps and even the sounds of uncontrolled retching could be heard from the audience.
The only words allowed were final pleas for their lives before being killed in ways not even befitting animals. These were not gallows hangings like those judicially condemned, they were the kind where victims slowly suffocated, while onlookers gleefully watched. The dead and often mutilated corpses were usually left in place — as a mockery — and a warning.
Today, it is no longer necessary for the murderers among us to gather in the dead of night to satisfy their bloodlust and their hatred of black people. Today, all they have to do is become police officers, and thanks to the bodycam, the kind of people who once found entertainment in killing black people, can now simply tune in to the evening news.
The blood is real. The carnage is real. The brutality and death are real, and the state now sanctions it. No longer do the executioners of black people have to lurk in the shadows.
What once represented the heroic concept of defenders of civilized society against lawlessness, the culture of the “thin blue line” has been infiltrated and weaponized by racist, killer cops. These bad apples shield themselves from accountability for their actions using an unspoken code that cops should protect each other, no matter what.
Police departments, especially those where there are large minority populations, are teeming with racist officers looking to get their adrenaline rush by beating and unjustly killing people of color — especially black men. Many of these killers have traded in their white hoods and robes for the blue uniforms of the police, even the FBI has declared it problematic and in dire need of addressing.
But the extrajudicial killing of black people by racist police goes far deeper than one might imagine.
NOTE: Anyone who is easily upset or offended should stop reading here.
After witnessing the disturbing videos of George Floyd’s murder, the recently uncovered footage of Sonya Massey’s tragic death, and the arrest of NFL player Tyreek Hill at the hands of the police, it’s understandable to question the officers’ thought process. However, the critical concern in these cases is not their thoughts but their expectations.
To fully understand the psychology involved here would take a professional explanation, but it specifically revolves around control and hatred. Regardless of whether you comply, resist, or run, the outcome of an interaction with one of these officers will likely be the same because they want to harm you anyway. No matter what you do or say, an excuse to hurt you will still be found.
When faced with racist, authoritarian police officers, it can be a difficult and intimidating experience. It’s important to remember that commands or orders should be obeyed immediately and without question unless they clearly place you in danger.
While quick compliance might be seen as a sign of weakness, potentially leading to further attempts to control and abuse, resisting will always result in the escalation of force, and running could also make you a target. It’s a tough position to be in, and it’s important to consider the best course of action given the circumstances.
