A synergy of contemporary activism to address police maltreatment of Black males: An intersectional analysis

ABSTRACT

A panoramic overview of contemporary and historical activism to address the perennial tension between police and young Black males in the United States of America is extensively articulated. Furthermore, an intersectional analysis framework is utilized to provide, and explain the unintentional synergy of activism among different groups in the Black community such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the inveterate political class, and the venerable Black church to mitigate police maltreatment of Black males during the era of the nation’s first Black president. Moreover, we discuss the various aggressive policing tactics used in maltreating Black males, some criminal justice reforms achieved in the last eight years, and more importantly we offer suggestions to improve the relationship between police and the Black community.

KEYWORDS:

• Police aggression
• Black males
• Black activism
• Black Lives Matter
• Black church

Notes

1. The Black community is comprised of people whose ancestral origination is Africa and as such there are significant cultural and class divisions among those who make up this group of people. In this paper the terms African American and Black are used interchangeably.