“Black On Black Crime”: The Misconception Of Crime & Race?

Okay, let’s just dive straight in.

The term “Black on black crime” connotates a stream of different historical contexts which in fact promotes the misconception of various incorrect beliefs that associate black communities with violence. There is too much criticism associated with how white supremacists have long promoted the notion that Black people are inherently more violent. Think about it, the term “Black on Black crime” has been referenced on multiple occasions even by political figures yet people fail to discuss the “white-on-white” crime issue! As a matter of fact, white people commit crimes against other white people at approximately the same rate that Black people do against other Black people. Moreover, Black people are currently more than three times as likely as white people to be killed/ wrongly treated by law enforcement. So, why use this term so loosely? The sad truth is that the affirmation of ‘Black Lives Matter’ does not apply in a world that does not support the movement.

So, White supremacists will justify colonization, slavery, and racial injustice all while preaching that the Black community are the inherently more violent race? Well, a crime within Black communities is very much comparable to crimes experienced within other ethnic communities, but the issue is that there is not as much light shed on this truth. There is no denying that white people aren’t being killed by police at the alarming rate that Black people are. To call the fallacy of Black-on-Black crime anything other than anti-Black racism is an injustice in itself. Though the objective here is not to redirect the blame, instead to receive equal treatment. The relationship shared between crime and race are very much subject to a series of false ideologies. The heavy focus on black-on-black crime is a diversionary tactic, suggesting that black people don’t have the right to be outraged about police violence in vulnerable black communities, because those communities have a crime problem.

In 2007, Prime Minister Tony Blair referred to a black crime stating “this is not a metaphor for the state of British society … it is a specific problem, in a specific criminal culture among specific groups of young people. The Black community … need to be mobilised in denunciation of this gang culture that is killing innocent young Black kids. But we won’t stop this by pretending it isn’t young Black kids doing it.” This statement alone amplifies the targeting of ethnic minorities by placing blame on specific cultures, and communities. In the Uk, this racial dynamic is reinforced by a popular culture that often irresponsibly glorifies criminality, violence and misogyny starting from a young age. Using language like “Black-on-Black crime” perpetuates the myth that intraracial violence is specific to the Black community, a myth that implies the view that Black people are the significant source of harm to society and are inherently more violent. Instead, the black community are subject to multiple serious harms simply because of the society in which they live. Current definitions of crime and the associated activities of the criminal justice system misrepresent and underplay the true extent of harms experienced in society. The Black community experience disproportionate social obstacles daily, unfortunately, the criminal justice system cannot help overcome that. Rather, the challenge here is to analyse a range of social problems without heavily targeting the Black crime myth as a necessary explanation.

Take this opportunity to educate yourself. A simple phrase can hold a massive impact.

Yours Truly Sasi