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ABSTRACT
The relationship between law enforcement and Black people in North America is governed by fear and suspicion, leading to inequitable legal outcomes. The ongoing policing crisis for Black males in Toronto, Canada is downplayed by a self-perception of Canadian “innocence” based on a multicultural identity. I argue that the crisis is rooted in a Eurocentric, dehumanizing view of Black masculinity as violent and criminal. I demonstrate how this narrative is perpetuated by Toronto law enforcement and the news media. I propose that embracing Black masculinity as fully human will free both victims and perpetrators from the harms of racial profiling.
Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the editorial contribution of Karen A. Limbert Rempel to this manuscript, made possible by the Department of Global Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ahmed A. Ilmi
Ahmed Ali Ilmi is an assistant professor (Teaching Stream) in the Department of Global Development Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Ilmi is an interdisciplinary Black Studies scholar whose work focuses on cultural, identity, and diasporic politics and the intersections of Blackness and Africa. He has a PhD in sociology with specialization in social movements and social justice education. Dr. Ilmi’s research interests include African studies, critical development studies, diaspora and transnationalism, and the ethics of community research. He has published widely on African philosophy, gender, development, identity politics, and Black boys’ education.