The Racism Of Black Men By Martin Luther King Jr.

Picture thousands of inner-city children being forced into a system that leads them from school straight to prison. Picture hundreds of stories, seemingly every day, being published about unarmed black men killed by police. Picture a bus full of college students obliviously conducting racist sing-alongs regardless of its potential to offend or hurt others. All these recent events have led some to question the 21st-century idea that Americans live in a society absent of racial strife and inequality (Winant). Are all Americans living the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., or are some still affect by the racism that is seemingly still embedded within our culture like a repugnant weed that has yet to be pulled from its roots? Although race†¦show more content†¦Most black men, varying from children to senior citizens, have been led to the assumption that they should fear the police; rightly so given that high numbers of this demographic tend to be victims of unjustified police kil lings. For example, Eric Garner, a forty-three year old man from New York, was put in a chokehold after resisting arrest, triggering his asthma, which—after stating â€Å"I can’t breathe† eleven times—caused his eventual death. As a result of his disturbing final moments, his death caused nationwide protests calling for justice, although some American citizens showed their ugly side. Moreover, amongst many insensitive and offensive comments from the side defending the officer, several counter-bywords were coined to counter the effects of Garner’s martyrdom, such as: â€Å"Breathe Easy. Don’t Break the Law.† or the heinous â€Å"I Can Breathe† (Bloom). As a result, along with other similar misfortunate events, this reaction took discussions about race off the back burner (Police Brutality). Currently, major cities—such as New York and Los Angeles—seem to be the hearths of police brutality. In March of 1991, the bea ting of Rodney King by white police officers sparked a violent series of riots in 1992, which some consider to be the first major race-riots since the 1960s. One major issue that comes up these events is the alienation of the â€Å"bad cops† from the â€Å"good cops†. Many feel as if, the â€Å"bad cops† never face justice for many