There are many sayings about Black communities that go unquestioned. One of the most prominent ones is the term “Black on Black crime.” In a new video, The Root is showing exactly why the myth of “Black on Black crime” is completely out of step with the historical racism and segregation that created and diminished many predominantly Black communities in the first place.

When people use the term “Black on Black crime,” they usually haven’t considered the motives behind the creation of such a notion. That’s what this video is all about.

The key points in the short piece are that intraracial crime happens in every single community. This is likely a byproduct of historical segregation and the systemically racist practices of redlining and predatory lending.

Reading actual crime data shows that crime pretty much always happens between people who know and identify with one another. White people often kill or harm white people, Black people with Black people, and so on. So, there must be some other motive to calling out crime in Black communities as somehow more menacing and rampant than everyone else, right?

Watch the full video below to learn more about this issue:

Photo: The Root video screenshot

Author

  • Jenn M. Jackson was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a fact which motivates her writing and academic ambitions. She is a scholar, educator, and writer whose writing addresses Black Politics and civil and public life for young Black people with a focus on policing and surveillance. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Water Cooler Convos, a culture platform for Black millennials. Her writing has been featured in Washington Post, BITCH Magazine, Marie Claire, EBONY, The Root, Daily Dot, The Independent, and many others. Jackson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago studying American Politics with a focus on political participation and engagement, public opinion and social movements. For more about her, tweet her at @JennMJack or visit her website at jennmjackson.com.