Criminalblackman

The term criminalblackman refers to the myth of the Black man as a criminal. Katheryn Russell-Brown first used this expression when referring to the stereotyping of minorities as criminals. The term exemplifies the culmination of fear that many Whites have of Black men. Stereotyping of the Black race began with slavery. A portion of the justification for slavery included the idea that Blacks were inferior and animal-like. Shortly after the emancipation of slaves, stereotyping depicted members of the Black race as dangerous people, prone to criminality. This type of stereotyping was used to keep Blacks in their place and provide a form of justification for violence against the Black race. The image of the Black man as a rapist fueled both fear and violence. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Black male became labeled as a criminal predator, otherwise referred to as the “criminalblackman.”

Fear of the Black man has been created by those in a position to benefit from such fear. For decades, politicians have emphasized their “tough on crime” approaches in running for office. Perhaps the most popular example of dislodging an opponent is George H. W. Bush's use of Willie Horton as a criminal poster child to discredit his opponent, Michael Dukakis, during the 1988 presidential campaign. A rape committed by Horton, a Black man, while out of prison on work furlough focused fear of crime on the Black race and further stereotyped Black men as predators. It especially enhanced the stereotype of the Black male as a rapist who seeks out White women to victimize.

It is well established that the media perpetuates myths and misconceptions about crime and criminals. Newspapers and news broadcasters have overemphasized the Black male as criminal. Statistically, Whites commit the majority of crimes, yet the public perceives the Black male as the greater threat for crime. There is more negative than positive representation of the Black male in newspapers, in magazines, and on television newscasts. Ted Chiricos and Sarah Eschholz found that Black males are 2.4 times as likely to be represented as criminal on local news broadcasts than are White males. The media shapes images for the public to adopt into thought, thus contributing to society's stereotyping of the Black male as criminal.

The myth of the criminalblackman is perpetuated by governmental policies and a system that targets the Black male as a criminal. The entrance-way for the criminal justice system begins with the police. Police efforts are dictated by the “War on Drugs,” “War on Crime,” and the “War on Gangs.” All of these “wars” depict the young inner-city Black male as the enemy and further stereotype the Black male as a criminal. The police carry these stereotypes into work, sometimes unconsciously. In part because of legislation such as the War on Drugs, police primarily target minority youth in urban areas. Discretion given to the police under the “war” directives allows them to focus investigative efforts toward minorities and away from the more affluent. These “wars” have also provided enough grounds in some states for pulling over cars driven by Black males. This “driving while Black” is more accurately called “racial profiling.”

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