Police Brutality: A Rhetorical Analysis

Addressing police brutality must be done with empathy for and awareness of the plight of the African-American community. Historically speaking, there has not been a period wherein the African-American community was not inhibited by institutionalized barriers. American enslavement provided the foundation for later oppressive provisions that are especially prevalent within inner-city, predominantly Black communities, which, incidentally, many of the prominent instances of police brutality have taken place. Political regimes like the “war on drugs,” “school to prison pipeline,” and mass incarceration criminalize and dehumanize the African-American community, and thus affect the collective mindset of the population. I believe that an imperative first step that has not been taken is acknowledging the effects these may have on the Black community. In order to move forward, the African-American community must heal. As an activist and aspiring social worker, I

I advocate for empowerment for the African-American community through education. While I would encourage African-Americans to act in a way that does not provoke a negative response, I would pass out pamphlets that outline their rights as American citizens, their right to record videos of their encounters with police, as well as how to utilize the legal system to their advantage in order to receive a, truly, fair trial. Furthermore, I would also encourage peaceful assembly and other avenues to commence change. In no way am I insinuating that respectability politics must be in play to alleviate this issue. However, I believe that education would enlighten communities to more insidious issues and give them the tools to work toward changing police-citizen relations as well as raise the standards of living within their own