8/21/17
Related Case or Issue: Policing Reform Campaign
Late yesterday, the New York Sergeants Benevolent Association released a video suggesting that police officers are subject to ‘blue racism.’ Monique Dixon, Deputy Director of Policy and Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, provided the following statement:
“We’re deeply troubled by the New York Sergeants Benevolent Association’s reprehensible video suggesting that police officers face ‘blue racism.’ This video demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of our nation’s sordid history of racism, including law enforcement’s role in perpetuating past and current discrimination. Being a police officer is a choice. The uniform’s blue shirt can be taken off at the end of the day, the color of one’s skin cannot. Indeed, some officers of color have bemoaned how, out of uniform, they have been seen as a threat by their fellow officers as well as members of the public.
“Communities of color face racism every day, and have been victims of hate and other crimes across this nation because of the color of their skin. To say that members of law enforcement are victims of ‘blue racism’ because of the color of their uniforms is offensive and uninformed. The conversation around policing should focus on implementing policies and practices that will ensure that everyone returns home safely after a law enforcement interaction. Any other conversation is counterproductive and will only widen the gulf between police and the communities they serve.”
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