Criminalblackman

Patricia L. Brougham

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 ...

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