Police Use of Excessive Force against African Americans

Robertson and Chaney examine how the early antecedents of police brutality like plantation overseers, the lynching of African American males, early race riots, the Rodney King incident, and the Los Angeles Rampart Scandal have directly impacted the current relationship between communities of color and police. Using a phenomenological framework, they analyze how African American college students perceive police to determine how race, gender, and education create different realities among a demographic. Based on their qualitative and quantitative findings, Robertson and Chaney offer recommended policies and strategies for police and communities to improve relationships and perceptions between the two.

Current police brutality reflects our long history of white supremacy. Robertson and Chaney narrate this history brilliantly and bring forth contemporary data showing that young African Americans perceive the police as a vigilante force. They end with a critical review of policy proposals to reform policing and highlight the very few they believe can work. I highly recommend this very readable and informative book for class adoption., This powerful and well-constructed book sets a new precedent to discuss the relationship between communities of color and law enforcement in America. Robertson and Chaney have contributed greatly to tackling the historical concern of police violence. Exploring the perceptions of Black college students, this book deepens our thinking to stretch the discussion on how much “Black” and “Blue” Lives Matter when endeavoring to improve the community-police relationship.

Cassandra D. Chaney is professor of child and family studies at Louisiana State University.Ray V. Robertson is associate professor of sociology at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.