|
AFRICAN AMERICANS CONDEMN BIASED U.S. JUSTICE SYSTEM... YET HOLD MIXED VIEWS ON STATE OF RACE RELATIONS, BLACKPLANET.COM NATIONAL SURVEY REPORTS 70% of respondents say racial profiling is as prevalent as 20 years ago |
|
NEW YORK, NY, December 11, 2006 – BlackPlanet.com, the leading online social network for African Americans with over 12.4 million registered members, today announced it surveyed 398 African Americans nationwide on the justice system and the state of race relations in the United States. BlackPlanet.com is a property of Community Connect, Inc., the leader in online niche social networks. General Attitudes about the US Justice System and Race Relations An overwhelming majority – 82% – do not feel that the United States justice system treats African Americans as fairly as it treats other ethnicities, specifically Caucasians. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed believe that race relations in the United States are currently headed in the wrong direction. Fourteen percent, however, believe race relations are headed in the right direction and 13% believe race relations are fine at the present moment. “I have been an activist for years now and feel that the only way to change the system is from within… The problem is systemic,” said a contributor to a BlackPlanet.com discussion forum. The forum can be accessed at: http://www.blackplanet.com/news/article.html?news_item_id=12629. Police Brutality in U.S. Cities When asked about police brutality against African Americans, survey respondents indicated that brutality is widespread across the country. Respondents were divided on which U.S. city has the worst police brutality problem:
Racial Profiling Seventy percent of survey respondents believe that racial profiling of African Americans is as prevalent today as it was twenty years ago. Seventy-four percent claim that they have been victims of profiling in the last year, and 37% feel they have been profiled within the past six months. Those who had been racially profiled cited the following as the locations/circumstances of their profiling:
Profiling Never Appropriate Sixty-two percent of respondents reported that racial profiling is never appropriate, even when carried out as a security measure at airports or United States borders. Fear for Physical Safety Fifty percent said that they would be afraid for their physical safety if they were pulled over by a police officer at night. Under the same circumstances, 65% said they would not feel afraid if they were Caucasian. The Killing of Sean Bell in Queens Seventy-two percent of respondents had noticed media coverage of the death of Sean Bell, an African American who was shot and killed by undercover cops in Queens on November 25th, 2006. Fifty-one percent feel that this is another example of the police profiling African American men. Twenty-three percent wanted to wait for more information before forming a judgment – and only 1% believe the police action was justified and probably an act of self defense. New York police officers fired fifty shots during the incident. Seventy-six percent of survey respondents agree that fewer shots would have been fired had Bell and his friends been Caucasian. An Unjust Outcome? Fifty-nine percent of respondents feel that New York City officials have handled the situation poorly. Their expectations of the trial’s outcome are:
“BlackPlanet is more than an online social network, it is a forum for African Americans to discuss important issues of the day and make our voices heard. As the survey findings show, there is deep and widespread discontent in the black community about the American system of justice.” said Omar Wasow, Co-Founder of BlackPlanet.com. The margin of error for the survey is + 4.9 percent.### About Community Connect About BlackPlanet.com |
Copyright 2000-2006 Community Connect Inc., All rights reserved.
"BlackPlanet.com", "AsianAvenue.com", and "MiGente.com" are registered trademarks of Community Connect Inc.