Racial Profiling: One Page Essay

 

“Racial profiling” is the use of race or ethnicity in determining whether someone has committed an offense. A few cases of racial profiling that have received widespread attention in the last few years can be read about here:

Starbucks just the latest accused of racial profiling

Is racial profiling illegal? In Florida, yes, but not in every state:

One notorious example of racial profiling is the “stop-and-frisk” policy of New York City that steadily increased from 2002 to 2013. Read more about the policy here:

“I got tired of hunting black and Hispanic people”

Stop-and-frisk data

NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the last chapter of stop-and-frisk

For this assignment, consider the materials above and read about the experiences of people who were subject to the stop-and-frisk policy in NYC here:

6  people describe being stopped and frisked when Bloomberg was mayor of NYC

Answer the following in a one-page essay:

What is “racial profiling?” How does the “stop-and-frisk” policy in New York City utilize racial profiling? What percentage of people who are stopped and frisked are innocent? Choose one story from the 6 offered in the VICE News article above that stands out to you. What happened in this case? What does it suggest to you about the stop-and-frisk policy? Discuss fully in a one-page essay.