Stereotypes Of Black Males

Stereotyping has always been a part of society and unfortunately this leads to the quick judgment of people. Before even meeting a person, someone may have already formed an opinion of another person simply because of the color of their skin or the way that they look. This stereotyping is what leads to racism and discrimination. One stereotype that leads to racism in particular is the stereotype of blacks, and in particular black males. The current stereotype of a black male is a person that is poor and is also a criminal. This stereotype casts a very negative light over the black community and leads to unfair treatment.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1 in every 3 black males is expected to face some jail time. Black males now make up approximately 36% of the inmates incarcerated. Statistics like these are what have continued to keep the black male stereotype alive. This stereotype also leads to discrimination and unfair treatment from police. Law enforcement may be more suspicious of a black male than of a white male. According to a one study, black males are approximately three times as likely to be searched on a routine
In Ferguson, Missouri people protested after the unarmed killing of Michael Brown by police. These people felt that the police were less hesitant to use deadly force because Brown was a black male. They felt that if Brown was not black police would not have been so quick to react with deadly force. Many blacks feel that they are targeted by police simply for their skin color. This creates more tension between blacks and law enforcement and in turn adds to the stereotype of black males being criminals. The difficulty with breaking these stereotypes is that many people do not like to change their ways or views even if it is for the better. This is a main reason why these stereotypes have continued to stay the