Institutional Racism

Lucinda Schwarz

In the U.S. prison system, the number of black prisoners heavily out number the white prisoners. This is caused by the economic disparity between different races in our country. White people have an overwhelming advantage over all the other races in regards to being economically stable. Although black people are imprisoned over five times the rates of whites, the trends are getting better. There are actually less black people being incarcerated than white people in recent years. I believe that this is partially due to the growing awareness of racial and social inequity in the U.S. as a result of the influence of media. I think the 1992 LA uprising had a huge impact on society in that people realized that police brutality against minorities is a common reality for the people of color in our country. Before the video of the Rodney King beating, people didn’t want to realize that police brutality was happening because it displays the still apparent racism problem in our country. The broadcasting of the video of the Rodney King beating began an era of media being used to fight against the institutional racism that works against minorities in the U.S.

The 1992 LA Riots were not created solely by the incident of the Rodney King beating, or by the verdict of the police officers. Institutionalized racism has been apparent in our country for as long as it has existed. In the present, not guilty verdicts are still given to white police officers who have racially profiled and killed black civilians for no reason. This institutional racism has persisted even after the uprising, even though it showed the obvious unrest of the people. Our country has created a vicious cycle for minorities by causing a lack of opportunities and then blaming people for not taking charge of their life, rooting back to the concept of “personal responsibility”. The 1992 LA uprising effects the present because it made people realize that the media can be used to our advantage and give the people more power. The uprising also raised awareness about the police brutality against minorities and how bad it truly was.

 References: Hager, Eli. “Analysis | A Mass Incarceration Mystery.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 15 Dec. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/15/a-mass-incarceration-mystery/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.647b1970ba58. Joseph, Peniel. “Why the 1992 L.A. Riots Matter Today.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 Apr. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/04/28/opinions/los-angeles-1992-25-years-later-opinion-joseph/index.html.