Black on Black Violence

Article by Dan Bell

Whether you call it a health issue or genocide, “Black on Black violence” is an enormous crisis in the Black community. 1 in 146 black males are at risk of violent death, whereas the ratio for white men is 1 in 189. What do we mean by “Black on Black crime?” It may be described as anytime a Black person inflicts violent harm on another Black person. In one study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (covering reported violent crime that occurred between 1993-98) when the offender had been identified, 76% of the time the violence was intra-racial. The effects of this violence in the Black community is tremendous. Violence is very much part of what it means to be Black in America.

What are some of the reasons for this problem? It is in part how we have historically allowed the system to work in America dating back to slavery, and it is in part how Blacks have responded to systematic operation of oppression and dehumanization. But let’s look at some of the factors that have to be considered when trying to come up with solutions.

1) History that leads right up to the present: Since the days that Blacks were involved in the slave system, they have been the recipients of organized violence in this country. When slavery was declared illegal in the 19th century, US laws have often been changed or have been manipulated in order to exclude Blacks from financial success, individual freedom, and public participation in our society. As Reverend Harriet Walden, who works on Black on Black violence in Seattle, WA, has said “We cannot talk about this without talking about white supremacy and racism.” From Jim Crow, to redlining, to racial profiling, these barriers have been effective in frustrating Black people’s legal efforts to support themselves and their families. And when people are unable to participate in a legitimate economy, they have at times turned to illegal economies. And those environments support and encourage violence. Since we have not yet achieved a period of true equal opportunity in this country, we are steering some people into illegal activity and lives with more violence.

2) Self-perception: Franz Fanon, the French psychiatrist who treated patients during Algeria’s revolt against France, proposed that the ‘oppressed’ after a period of time adopted the point of view of the oppressor. Racism has sent the specific message to members of the Black community (along with other communities of color) that our lives are worth less. By acting out against others in our community with violence, we are acting on the beliefs that have been drilled into our heads that our lives are not precious. Larger institutions echo that belief by not taking crimes against Black people seriously.

3) Turning victims into perpetrators: When the criminal justice system responds to crime in the Black community by minimizing it, it often comes down to the same old perception that it is a “Negro” problem. There are not broad efforts to treat victims well, ensure their long-term health, or to take their harm seriously. Experiencing violence increases the likelihood that a person will use violence against someone else later. So violence in the community is like a snowball rolling down a hill in an avalanche, getting larger as it goes along, sweeping up more and more in its path. Violence is a self-perpetuating problem.

4) All communities reflect the broader community in which we live, and violence or the threat of violence is often used to solve problems. Dr. King, for example, became more outspoken in his opposition to the Vietnam War because he said that he spoke to urban youth who asked him “Why shouldn’t we use violence? Our government does.” Violence in the Black community is part of a broader problem of violence in our culture.

Whether in the Black community, or any community, we know that there are some factors that correlate with a lower rate of violence. Two of the leading ones: economic stability and strong social networks. Communities in which people have their basic needs met correlate with a lower incidence of violence. Both of these will be difficult to achieve until racism is addressed (see reason number one) and Blacks achieve equal opportunity. The work of Reverend Walden in Seattle and others working on this issue has been based on breaking the silence, and promoting Black leadership on this issue.

We are not making excuses for violence by saying that past injustices (like slavery) justify it. Many would agree with the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us that those who have been constantly abused and humiliated can still hold the moral high ground. We can either choose the path of acting out, and respond to violence with violence… which will then likely lead to more violence, what Dr King referred to as the path of mutual destruction. We can devise plans to change this problem. But, we can’t do it alone.

Resources and More Information about Black On Black Violence
(these resources are primarily available via the Internet)

Bringing the Anti-Violence Message to Young Black Males, By: Bridget Murray: Monitor.V34 #Jul/Aug 2003 http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug03/bringing.html

Violence and the African-American Community: Violence in the African-American Community as a Public Health Issue. Vernellia R. Randall Professor of Law and WEB Editor. Article By Kimberly Chipman, Rn 2nd year law student. University of Dayton School of Law. Fall 1998
http://academic.udayton.edu

Black Genocide? Preliminary Thoughts on the Plight of America’s Poor Black Men, By Robert Johnson and Paul Leighton: Journal of African Men, v1#2, Fall1995, http://www.paulsjusticepage.com

Families Affected by Violence (FAB Violence) is based in Portland, Oregon.

Reverend Harriet Walden is part of the Silent War Campaign, they’re working to break the silence on Black on Black Violence, and are based in Seattle, Washington. You can reach Reverend Walden via email at harrietwalden@aol.com.

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2004 issue of Justice Matters.