Following the wrongful shooting of Jacob Blake, conversations regarding police brutality permeate social media, news cycles, and dinner tables. Routinely the idea of “Black on Black” crime always manages to enter these spaces of discussion. “Black on Black” crime is dually a myth and a reality, here is why.
What We Know:
- “Black on Black” crime is a subset of the statistical data that quantifies crime as a whole. Therefore alongside “Black on Black” crime, there is “White on White” crime or even “Asian on Asian” crime. So statistically, “black on black” crime is a very real tool to measure crime.
- According to The Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2019, crime victimization statistics report those who commit violent acts tend to commit them against members of the same race as the offender. The report noted that 62% of violent incidents committed against white victims were perpetrated by white offenders and 70% of violent incidents committed against Black victims were perpetrated by Black offenders. The data from the BJS report shows that crime has more to do with proximity and likeness than any other variable.
- A similar concept used to deflect from issues of police brutality and white supremacy is the idea that there is a disproportionate amount of crime perpetrated by Black people in comparison to any other race. While this trope carries weight, crime is more closely related to poverty than race. In order to break the cycles of violence within a given community, it is imperative to dismantle the systems of white supremacy that keep a community in poverty.
- The emphasis of “Black on Black” crime is intentional. There is an agenda behind constantly reducing a community to being violent. The concept stirs conversations of police brutality away from white supremacy which is ultimately the most pressing enemy of Black people in America.
- The narrative of “Black on Black” crime will continue to plague dialogue regarding race across America; however, unarmed Jacob Blake was shot in the back by Wisconsin law enforcement seven times in front of his children all under the age of 8-years-old for attempting to break up a fight. Whereas Kenosha shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse safely remains in custody after parading an assault-style weapon around a peaceful protest and ultimately murdering two Wisconsin protestors.
The treatment of White, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, in comparison to 29-year-old, African American Jacob Blake proves “Black on Black” crime is not the enemy of black people – law enforcement is.
