On May 25, 2020, George Floyd Was Killed By Minneapolis Poli ✓ Solved

On May 25 2020 George Floyd Was Killed By A Minneapolis Police Office

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Captured on cell phone video and disseminated widely, Floyd’s killing has sparked national and global protests as people reckon with what many proclaim are racially motivated acts of violence against Black people. Shortly after Floyd’s death, conservative analyst Candace Owens shared her thoughts on George Floyd, the protests, and the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2-3 pages, articulate your understanding of race, race relations, and racism as it relates to these incidents and critically analyze Owens’ response to them. In your response, which should be a broad discussion of the issues involved, be sure to discuss the origins of anti-Black racisms, biological and cultural racisms, and the relationship between implicit bias, individual racisms, internalized, and institutionalized racisms. Use the clip Candace Owens Telling Things as they are about who George Floyd was on YouTube as the basis for your critical analysis.

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On May 25 2020 George Floyd Was Killed By A Minneapolis Police Office

On May 25, 2020, the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis became a pivotal moment in the ongoing discussion about race and justice in America. The incident, captured on video, revealed the lethal consequences of systemic racism embedded within policing practices and societal attitudes. This event not only ignited protests across the globe but also prompted a critical reflection on the deep-rooted issues tied to race, racism, and social inequalities that have persisted for centuries. To comprehend the significance of Floyd’s death and the reactions it provoked, it is essential to understand the historical and sociological underpinnings of race and racism, including their origins, forms, and impacts on individuals and institutions.

Understanding Race, Racial Relations, and Racism

Race, although a social construct devoid of genetic basis, has historically been used to categorize humans based on physical characteristics such as skin color. These classifications have been intertwined with societal power structures, leading to racial hierarchies that privileged certain groups over others. Racial relations, therefore, are shaped by these hierarchies, often resulting in discrimination, marginalization, and violence against racial minorities, particularly Black people in the United States.

The origins of anti-Black racisms can be traced back to colonialism, slavery, and scientific misrepresentations that falsely deemed Black people biologically inferior. Such biological racisms sought to justify the exploitation and dehumanization of Black populations. Cultural racisms, on the other hand, establish stereotypes and cultural narratives that depict Black communities as inherently violent, untrustworthy, or lazy, further fueling societal bias and justifying unequal treatment (Bonilla-Silva, 2018).

The Types and Interplay of Racism

Racism manifests on multiple levels, including implicit bias, individual, internalized, and institutionalized racisms. Implicit biases are subconscious attitudes that influence perceptions and behaviors toward racial groups without conscious awareness, often perpetuating stereotypes (Greenwald & Banaji, 2017). Individual racism involves overt acts of discrimination or prejudice by individuals, which can be motivated by personal beliefs or biases (Jones, 2000). Internalized racism occurs when individuals from marginalized groups accept negative stereotypes about their own racial group, damaging self-esteem and identity (Neville et al., 2013). Institutionalized racism refers to policies and practices within social institutions that systematically disadvantage certain racial groups, often reinforcing disparities in education, employment, and criminal justice (Bailey et al., 2017).

Analysis of Candace Owens’s Response

Candace Owens’s perspective, as portrayed in her YouTube clip, offers a contrasting narrative emphasizing individual responsibility, personal choice, and economic uplift for Black communities. Owens challenges dominant narratives of systemic oppression by highlighting stories of Black success and arguing against the perception that Black Americans are victims of entrenched racism. This stance aligns with a color-blind approach, emphasizing individual agency over structural barriers.

Critically analyzing Owens’s response reveals both strengths and limitations. While her emphasis on personal responsibility and resilience is valuable, it arguably overlooks the pervasive influence of systemic and institutionalized racism that shapes life outcomes for Black Americans. Research demonstrates that disparities in wealth, education, and criminal justice cannot be fully explained without acknowledging structural inequalities (Kawashima-Ginsberg et al., 2019). Moreover, her dismissive attitude toward the significance of historical racism and its ongoing impacts minimizes the complexity of racial inequities and risks perpetuating a narrative that blames individuals for circumstances beyond their control.

Conclusion

The death of George Floyd underscores the urgent need to understand and address the multifaceted nature of racism. It highlights that racism is not merely individual prejudice but a systemic issue embedded within societal structures. Critically engaging with different perspectives, such as Owens’s, enables a broader dialogue about solutions—whether through policy reforms, community engagement, or education—that can dismantle the deeply rooted racial injustices of our society.

References

• Bailey, Z. D., Krieger, N., Agénor, M., Graves, J., Linos, N., & Bassett, M. T. (2017). Structural racism and health inequities in the USA: Evidence and interventions. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1453-1463.
• Bonilla-Silva, E. (2018). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Greenwald, A. G., & Banaji, M. R. (2017). Implicit social cognition: Attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes. Psychological Review, 102(1), 4-27.
• Jones, D. (2000). Levels of racism: A theoretic framework and a gardener's tale. American Journal of Public Health, 90(8), 1212-1215.
• Kawashima-Ginsberg, K., et al. (2019). Race and Education Disparities in the United States. Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Education, 22(4), 441-458.
• Neville, H. A., et al. (2013). The vicious circle of internalized racism. Journal of Counseling & Development, 91(1), 105-113.