Since the Civil Rights Movement, how has police brutality and racism against African Americans changed in the 21st century?
By madis2n
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The murder of Robert Hall
In 1943, A black unarmed man who was accused of stealing a tire was beaten in handcuffs in the public eye and dragged back to a jail cell. The officer waited several hours to call the ambulance which resulted in this innocent man dying. -
NAACP
In 1958, The NAACP magazine titled “The Crisis” published the truth about certain murders and ongoing police brutality. At the time, The crisis specifically talked about the Detroit riots and the corruption and racism going on during the time. -
The Watts Riots
In the summer of August 1965, a black male was pulled over by a white cop for drunk driving which resulted in him getting arrested and beaten up. Many say the male resisted, but it is unclear if they used heavy force to suppress the black male. -
The March on Washington
On the march to Washington, Martin Luther King spoke out about the ongoing police brutality. He said "We can never be satisfied as long as the negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. -
The Harlem Riots
In 1964, a 15-year-old boy was shot dead by a lieutenant officer in front of the boy’s friends and a dozen other people. This infuriated people, specifically minorities. They protested and rioted against this murder in Harlem. -
The Black Panther Party was formed
In 1966, the Black Panther party was formed. This party was formed to protect African Americans from police brutality going on in the neighborhood. -
Rodney King
On March 3rd, 1991 Rodney King was beaten badly by the LAPD after he was arrested after a pursuit while driving intoxicated. King was unarmed yet was still badly beaten by four police officers. This then resulted in the Rodney King riots which lasted about 5 days. -
The murder of Amadou Diallo
In 1999, a man by the name of Amadou Diallo was shot and killed by Police offciers in New York City. Amadou was an immigrant and was from Guinea. Officers shot and killed him because they mistakened him taking his wallet out of his pocket for a gun. They shot him 41 times. -
The murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin
On Febuary 25, 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. 17 year old Travyon was seen as “suspicious” when coming out of a liquor store. Murderer Zimmerman followed Martin which led to a violent confrentation between the two. The murder then procceeded to shoot the 17 year old boy. -
The organization “Black Lives Matter” was formed
After the murder of 17 year old boy Trayvon Martin, the organization Black Lives Matter was started in 2013. Black lives matter was formed to protest against the racism and police brutality African Americans have faced. The name “Black Lives Matter’’ is a signal protesting the killings African Americans have faced from police brutality. -
The murder of George Floyd
On May 5th, 2020 in Minneapolis Minnesota, George Floyd who was a 46-year-old black male was a victim of police brutality. George Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill which resulted in his death. Due to a police officer kneeling on his neck making George unable to breathe. -
George Floyd Justice Policing Act -
In 2021, 1 year after the murder of George Floyd, the US congress presented a policing act that would aim to remove the potentially deadly forces (chokeholds and carthoids). This bill would also aim to improve police training and specific situations. -
The beating and murder of Tyree Nichols
In January 2023, 29 year old Tyree Nichols was murdered by five police officers. He was first assaulted and beaten up which resulted in Tyree dying in the hospital 3 days later. He was stopped due to reckless drivinf which resulted in him getting beaten up and dying. He had a 4 year old son. He was just 100 yards away from his own mothers home who he was calling out to when getting assaulted.