Situation Analysis

What is the issue?

The self-esteem of black boys has taken a major hit in the United States, and historically Black families have privately expressed feeling terrified by police violence against black men. However, recently these conversations began to surface in the public square as LeBron James told CNN News that “We are scared as Black people in America, Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified”. According to research conducted by the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 1 in every 1,000 Black men can expect to die at the hands of police officers. Black life does not seem to have equal value among some police officers as does white lives. For example, on April 20, 2020 heavily armed white men can be seen openly carrying guns in the senate gallery at the Michigan State House without being shot down by police officers. Many have imagined how this scene might have looked different if these were armed black men walking the steps of the Michigan State Capitol.

This situation, and other racial disparities seen in white men having rights to bear arms as they walk in the streets of America, and black boys such as Tamir Rice, and young black men such as John Crawford, lll who were both shot down by Officers for holding toy guns causes the mind of the Black community to feel despair. Black men and black boys, and white men and white boys are not treated in the same manner by law enforcement officers in America. And, wautEcabm highlights these facts, and acknowledges that gunning down unarmed Black men are un-indicted crimes committed by law enforcement against black men, which is a national healthcare crisis with over 200 years of systemic roots.

According to the National Institute of Health, “police brutality and black health is setting the agenda for public health scholars. Black men are not safe, and there is some level of uneasiness that is experienced whenever they are faced with situations where they have to be in the presence of law enforcement. These situations consist of black males driving cars, hanging out in public spaces, engaging in activities that most boys are inclined to participate in during their teen years, including helping resolve disputes that are typical in many black communities as seen in the case that led to the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Some will argue that the existence of the black man is a threat to law enforcement when juxtaposed with behaviors that police officers have towards white males. The constitution says all men are equal under the law, however the scale is slightly tipped in favor of white men compared to black men. Black mothers live in angst and often feel anxiety over the fact that their boys and adult sons may not live their lives to the fullest because many face pre-mature death at the hands of police officers. Dads are not confident that there is a level playing field when it comes to equal opportunity for their sons to be productive men and citizens, without instilling fear and caution in young boys about police, which in itself can lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy of discriminatory harm. Our goal is to increase the life expectancy of black men in America by eliminating physical and psychological harm caused by police officers. Which, we hypothesize will inadvertently decrease crimes against Black men by black male gangsters. 

The American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes physical and verbal violence against the public as a health crisis with serious public health consequences. It is quite difficult to come to terms with the fact that sworn officers of the law, who are supposed to be custodians of justice and equality are committing crimes against people they are sworn to protect. These crimes perpetrated by law enforcement officers against black men is a true reflection of the systemic racism that prevails in a system that unfairly places the majority “race” on a pedestal at the expense of people of color. When we typically think of health crisis, we think cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and most recently COVID-19. All the aforementioned have symptoms that require immediate attention. Likewise, realizing that the killing of black men is a healthcare crisis is the first step to healing the wounds that have been suffered by the black community for centuries.

According to the AMA website, “police violence is a striking reflection of our American legacy of racism”. It further elucidates the fact that the system unfairly puts some people ahead of others based on the color of their skin. The University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Center for Health Equity Research based on a study on civilian deaths at the hands of police, found out that Black males in the United States are three times more as likely to be killed by police than white males. This is a staggering statistic in a system that is clearly failing and mostly indifferent about a health crisis that is depleting its human resources. African Americans make up roughly 13.2% of the US population, however in 2015, Black people accounted for 26.5% of civilians killed by law enforcement, according to the study.

In the words of Letetra Widman, sister of Jacob Blake – the most recent victim of a police shooting, “When you say the name Jacob Blake, make sure you say father, make sure you say cousin, make sure you say son, make sure you say uncle, but most importantly make sure you say human, a human life.” The color of someone’s skin has no effect on the value of their life. All human life is equal and should be treated as such. The life of the black male is as valuable to society as the life of the male of any other race. Wasting the life of a black male has consequences on the progress of society, because it is a waste of a human resource that would otherwise have been able to contribute economic development, science, sports, restaurant management, food services, barbers, accountants, law, and many other aspects of society as a whole.

Ehrenfield, J., MPH, MD, & Harris, P., MD,MA. (2020, May 29). Police brutality must stop. Retrieved August 12, 2020, from https://www.ama-assn.org/about/leadership/police-brutality-must-stop

Brown, C., MPH, Powell, W., MPH,PHD, Corbie Smith, G., MD, MSc, & Ritchie, O. (2017). Evidence Brief: Health Equity Implications of Police Violence. Retrieved August 12, 2020, from https://www.med.unc.edu/cher/evidence-brief-health-equity-implications-police-violence/