Black people are dying at an alarmingly rapid pace, yet many continue to blame each other for it. We must address its root causes to break this vicious cycle.
The mayor is trying to squeeze big business with new taxes, but this strategy may backfire quickly.
Black-On-Black Crime is a Symptom of Systemic Racism
Many Black Americans believe that our society needs major overhauls to treat us fairly – this includes not just policing but also housing, education, the economy and healthcare services.
Anytime an issue of racial injustice and police brutality comes up for discussion, the question “What about Black-On-Black crime?” often surfaces as an attempt by many individuals to dismiss reform efforts and reinforce their own prejudices.
Black communities across America boast numerous organizations and activists dedicated to curbing violence within their neighborhoods. There are peace picnics, neighborhood watches, Scared Straight programs for at-risk youths and gang counseling groups all dedicated to ending violent crime; yet claims of “black-on-black crime” persist despite these efforts; federal data shows that Black offenders commit crimes against other Black victims at exactly the same rate that white offenders do against white victims; only difference being that more Black people than ever before become victims of violent crimes than ever before.
Black-On-Black Crime is a Symptom of Poverty
Black on black crime is an urgent problem, yet not solely a result of racism. Instead, it stems from poverty and powerlessness in ghettoized communities struggling to make ends meet in an international economy that doesn’t prioritize their needs.
That is why activists, community leaders, and parents have been fighting for safer neighborhoods for two decades–although their efforts often don’t get as much media coverage than protesting traffic or police brutality. Instead, they have to fight hard just to be taken seriously.
Johnson attempts to disprove criticism by asserting that rising crime is an issue all American cities must deal with; but this line of thinking overlooks its root causes and shortsightedly fails business leaders who understand that their city’s image as being difficult for doing business could harm them as the old saying goes, “you can’t squeeze oil and water at the same time”.
Black-On-Black Crime is a Symptom of White Supremacist Ideals
White supremacy is a racist ideology that supports structural violence by maintaining a racial hierarchy in America. According to this ideology, White people are superior to all other races and should therefore rule society (Kendi, 2019).
Anti-Black racism is an oppressive ideology that justifies the murders of Black people at an alarming rate by law enforcement officials and other whites, as well as making it acceptable for those of color – such as Payton Gendron – who killed 10 Black individuals in Buffalo, New York.
Rebuttals to “What about Black-On-Black Crime?” often use this argument to show indifference towards murders within their communities, however this is false as there are numerous organizations and activists fighting violence in communities of color – neighborhood watches, peace picnics, unity rallies, intervention specialists, youth counselors among many others – leading efforts against violence in their local neighborhoods.
Black-On-Black Crime is a Symptom of Lack of Support
Unfortunately, those outraged over police brutality often are the same ones who make jokes about “Black-On-Black crime.” Not that such comments don’t have their place; rather they serve as a way of dispelling concerns regarding police brutality.
Black communities face numerous ills that must be addressed comprehensively through a strategic response. Politicizing these harms should not serve to legitimize them by reinforcing racial hierarchies or spreading conspiratorial theories about white involvement with drug trafficking in Black neighborhoods.
Instead, Black activists require support from a city government that understands and prioritizes their needs and priorities while working collaboratively with them on policies to make their community safer – including funding a study of reparations for descendants of enslaved people as well as increasing aid for incarcerated Chicagoans; such efforts would help prevent violence recurring in Black neighborhoods – however Johnson has seemingly put such efforts on hold.