A new report by Human Rights Watch, Targeting Blacks: Drug Law Enforcement and Race in the United States, found that blacks are arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes at a much higher rate than whites, although whites commit more drug offenses.
According to the report, a black man is 12 times more likely to be sent to prison for a drug offense than a white man and a black woman, five times more likely than a white woman. A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts also found that one in 15 black men are locked up in the U.S. compared to one in 106 white men.
Okay…So, what are we going to do about all this? It’s not like we didn’t already know this!
SUGE KNIGHT INVOLVED IN ALTERCATION
Hip-Hop mogul Marion “Suge” Knight was assaulted and involved in an altercation with an unknown man in front of Hollywood nightclub on Saturday night (May 10). Knight was at Shag nightclub when he began arguing with another man, reportedly over money…
According to TMZ, Knight and his entourage assaulted the man, who managed to land a blow which knocked Knight unconscious for almost three minutes. An unknown woman who attempted to commandeer an SUV and transport Knight to the hospital struck the vehicles in front and in back of her, before security removed her from the driver’s seat.
Knight was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor wounds. He did not file a police report and allegedly refused to cooperate with Los Angeles police officers. Check out TMZ for more photos.
PHILADELPHIA POLICE BEATING
Last week, a video of at least a dozen predominantly white Philadelphia police officers pulling three black men out of a car after a pursuit and then kicking, punching and hitting them with batons while the men lie restrained on the ground was released to the public.
“There’s no excuse for that type of behavior, and we certainly want to take action,” Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.
Mayor Michael Nutter added that he was “tremendously disappointed” by the officers’ behavior and said, “The conduct was unacceptable. It did not live up to the professional standards we have set for the police department.” He also said that the incident has “virtually nothing to do with race; it has to do with crime.”
The three men — Dwayne Dyches, 24; Brian Hall, 23; and Pete Hopkins, 19 — were charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment, according to court officials after officers said they saw the suspects fire shots and injure three people standing on a street corner before fleeing the scene.
On Sunday, Al Sharpton said Dwayne Dyches was still in pain and did not know why the police were chasing him. Sharpton and Dyches’s mother, Leomia, spent about an hour with him at the correctional facility where he is being held. Dyches’s attorney says that the three men were not involved in the triple shooting and Sharpton added that it was a fact-finding mission and the family has not decided whether to take legal action. Shout out to CL Reader Beverly for the info.
O.J. CONFESSED?
How I Helped O.J. Get Away With Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse hit stores on Monday and author Mike Gilbert claims he helped O.J. Simpson get out of the murder charges by suggesting how to bloat his hands so they wouldn’t fit the notorious bloody gloves.
Gilbert also said Simpson had smoked marijuana and taken a sleeping pill and was drinking beer when he confided in him what had happened the night of June 12, 1994.
Gilbert alleges that Simpson said he went to his ex-wife’s condominium but did not bring a knife with him. Simpson told him Nicole Brown Simpson had one in her hand when she opened the door. In a soft mumble, Simpson told him: “If she hadn’t opened that door with a knife in her hand … she’d still be alive.”
“Nothing more needed to be said,” Gilbert writes. “O.J. had confessed to me. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
i’m sooooo over oj!!!!!!! he is such an a**hole everyone already knew he killed that lady years ago…… they need 2 lock hus a** up………….. NEXT!
Not surprised about OJ; we all know he killed that woman!!! whoever let him walk away with murder is evillll.
Well that’s all swell and all but there’s no double jeopardy in this country, it’s irrelevant now if he did it or not. The people who helped him get away with it will surely rot in hall, not even Jesus will forgive what they did. Notice how Cochran has died and so has Kardashian, both two major players in the case.
just saying..
All I know is Al Sharpton must be saving a lot on gas with that teleporter he is using. Wasn’t he just arrested in NY with Mrs. Bell? Now he’s in Chicago? dag Al, can I get a lift!
Umm as far as I am concerned the fault falls solely on O.J. not his attorneys. They just as the public had not the faintest idea if he had did it or not and were doing their jobs. Now as far as OJ he did dat shit I was convinced after the if I would have did it book. May he burn in the furthest depths of hell. LOL @ Suge gettin knocked into kingdom come thats for the years of fuckery. Who didn’t know blacks get far more harsh punishment than whites it’s so evident. Of course I mean I witnessed a white man get 1 month of Probation because he was from out of state for the same charge a black man got for 6 months probation for. We can’t do a damn thing about it just hope we don’t get caught. It’s fucked up but we as a people have been cursed since the slavery days.
LOL @ REV. Jackson’s teleporter.
What the hell on that OJ story. The author is probably going to be sued for defammation.
@7, a lawyer can do only his/her job and that is to give their client the best representation possible. Clients lie, prosecutors can sometimes half ass their goal of presenting the best evidence and in turn juries and judges do not look solely at the evidence presented.
I am a lawyer and I worked JC’s firm in the beginning of my career, he was a brillant attorney who did his job. In my personal opinion what happened in that trial had nothing to do with the law. The Simpson trial was about America’s judicial system and how race plays apart in the outcome. The verdict was just a part of the truth. As Condi Rice said America suffers from a birth defect when it comes to discussions and attitudes regarding race.
As for the drug/crime study, tell me something I do not already know, however, we know the bricks are stacked against us so why do we continue to play the game. Drugs have never led anyone any where but jail and death. The story doesnt change just the name in the by line so we have to do better and stop waiting for America to change because it will not. We must not succum to the b.s. period.
Sorry I meant at 6.
” a black man is 12 times more likely to be sent to prison for a drug offense than a white man and a black woman, five times more likely than a white woman.”
You see this why I don’t believe in statistics. You telling me that white women are dealing more drugs than white men? Please that is ludicrous! Where do they think the women get the drugs from? I have yet heard a white female drug kingpin.These drugs come from the suburbs and yet when they finally do drug bust in the burbs, the people their are so shocked, like the it unthinkable.
Now with the whole police brutality thing, those 3 idiots brought this on themselves. If they hadn’t ran they wouldn’t of got the beat down. Plus I don’t think this was racially motivated. I KNOW Y’ALL ARE GOING TO PROBABLY BITE MY HEAD OFF FOR THIS, BUT PLEASE ONE AT A TIME. LOL. Think about it if you was the police officers and you are on this pursuit with these guys.You are not only risking your life, but, your partners life and the lives of all the innocent drivers that are on the street and possible pedestrians. Plus you think these guys attempt to kill to someone too. When you finally do get a hold of them even though they are handcuffed, you might still be pissed off because you had chase them and you risked your life and others in the pursuit. DISCLAIMER: IN NO WAY AM I CONDONING WHAT THE OFFICERS DID IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. All I’m saying is that I can some what, some what, understand the beat down. Yet I bet that people that come on this blog is going to paint them as innocent victims.
Back to the more black men doing more crime. Now J.Dakar you ask what are we going to do about this? Really there isn’t anything “we” can do. We individually have to do for ourselves and make sure we don’t become apart of that statistic. There are some that are going to act right, then it’s some that’s not going to act right. The music and the culture is helping with deterioration of our community. We glorify being a gangster, pimp, drug dealer, being a hoe( both male & female) even killing someone. Yet when someone wants to leave the city and live in the suburbs, a lot of black folks get offended. Like it’s the worst thing to do. SMH.
Now O.J. And Suge, I’m not surprised about either one of them.
Thanks Dakar for the shout out!
The sad part is what do we do now? This is not the first or the last time that police brutality was captured on video. If these officers are not prosecuted what will we say as a community. We cannot continue to let this happen without speaking out. Regardless of the alleged crimes committed by these three young men in no way are the police justified in their actions. Did anyone notice they were not resisting arrest once the car stopped yet they were repeatedly punched and kicked for several minutes. As I watched the video my heart just dropped. What are we to do….
yeah im not really suprised about the whole more black men being locked up. But yeah what do people plan to do about it, besides talk about it? I personally dont see any change coming any time soon (unfortunately).
And about those police officers… again not suprised. I mean this is the one time that they were caught on tape, what about the other countless amount of times when they just got away with stuff like this. I know alot of people (alot of black people) hate the police, but i really think that more black men (from the hood) should become police officers, to put a stop to this BS
Those statistics are ridiculous. And people love to say racism is a thing of the past……
@10 they didn’t say drug dealing; they said drug offenses. That includes almost any crime that is drug related: handling, dealing, possession, etc…..
@ 13 yeah i know but basically it’s drug dealing they’re talking about. Plus can someone tell the science of doing a statistic? because they never seem accurate.
Man here we go more police brutality. I dont care if they were in a car chase no one deserves a beating like that. I could almost understand it if they were resisting but they were laying on the ground. As a police officer it dosent matter what happened in the past you can let stress get to you to the point where your beating men with batons. At one point in the video one of the cops is beating the dude down and runs over to another one just so he can get some more hits in. an unjust cop is not a cop at all.
Yes it is sad that black men are more likely to get arrested than white men but im not going to rally behind them or anything like that because the fact remains that they shouldnt be selling drugs period! The shit is wrong no matter how you look at it. And instead of us fighting to get them equal treatment in jail we should be fighting to stop them from selling to our children, mothers and fathers! Sorry I went on and on but I feel people are fighting the wrong cause
As for O.J. I think he really wants to be in jail. That is why he keeps coming up with this Random shit about the murder. First if I did it this is how it would have been done Now he’s confessing shit to someone he knows is going to talk. Alot of killers dont like not getting credited for what they did. He got off but I really think he went to trial so people would be interested in him
Suge Knight stay in trouble.
Everybody knows O.J. did it.
Please who cares about the juice, If he killed Nicole & Ron like that he has 2 live with thar reality. By the way he would’nt have been n that situation had he Represented his community , So 4 all the oj lovers that’s what happens when u cross that White picket fence. No better 4 him.
Whatever everyone already knows blacks get locked up more than whites for drugs, and Suge need to sit his ass down, OJ who cares he killed her but not by himself so that dude is on some bull**** cause ol boy was with her and OJ stabbed her to death and he watched I guess. The cops in Philly dont worry they will get off if you can shot a brother 50 times and get away it why not get away with beating them. The more things change the more they stay the same.
Dang Suge you got knocked the f*** out lmao
O.J. I don’t know what to say about him
Mr. Sharpton stay on a cause the men in Philly were done wrong I want them to get justice.
The statistic reports sadden me. Surprised, no… Saddened, yes.
“don’t rush to judgment”? Is that newscaster fuckin’ serious? WOW.
to I’m Gonna Tell The Truth:
It doesn’t take 15 police officers to take down 3 people! Most of the police officers were just going from one person to the other, kicking them or punching them for the hell of it. It really didn’t take all of that.
Shoot out to the Human Rights Watch for conducting a study on the likelihood of a black man being imprisoned, but that information is nothing new to the black community in the U.S.
No words for Mr. Simpson. If he did what he is suspected of, then karma will handle him.
Ok, Im sorry but what black person doesnt know we live in a racist country? A country that is out to see many of us fail? Knowing that, why do people continue to commit crimes? You are a black man and you know that the system is out to get you why continue to put yourself in situations where you will be at the mercy of a racist criminal justice system? I only feel sorry for people who are wrongfully accused. If you find yourself facing a “too harsh” sentence for doing something you shouldnt have been doing in the first place then too bad for you.
And to OJ God will deliver your punishment if you are guilty, and it’ll be unimaginably worse than anything the US CJ system couldve done to you.
@23 I didn’t say it did.
SMH @ all these stories….
Blacks being arrested more than whites? No surprise there…
I was 3 when this happened and looking back on it I know OJ did it. Since he has a constitutional right against double jeopardy, maybe with this trial coming up he will get what he deserves.
“So, what are we going to do about all this?”
We can start by raising our Black men to acting right. A statistic is merely a number and should not be something that Black men who commit crimes use to hide behind. I’m all about fair treatment but what bugs me about this story is what it’s highlighting. If these Black boys/men weren’t committing these crimes, there wouldn’t be statistics to speak of.
I totally agree that Blacks are often unfairly penalized for the same types of crimes that others committ. I also believe that our numbers will seem higher because we are disportionaltely affected by the system. However, I work in the criminal justice system and can tell you that all of these “drug related offenses” aren’t made up. They’re real. These boys are out here selling, distributing, trafficking and using. So instead of making excuses as to the alarming numbers, Black communities as a whole need to get to the bottom of the matter. There is no single solution but let’s start somewhere.
1) Successful Balck men (however you want to define your success – be it a successful garbage man or CEO) need to become more involved and mentor these youth. No, you’re not going to reach every single person. But at least try. Only a man can teach a boy how to be a MAN. So, if it means just spending a few hours a week hanging out with a youngin, then that’s what needs to be done. You never know what impact you can have on a person or how one statement or moment can change their life.
2) Stop acting like our black babies atre throw aways. No child asks to be brought into the world so it’s ultimately the mother’s and father’s responsibility to make sure that they create a decent life for that child. Women, quit having babies if you can’t raise them right. Men, stop making babies if you can’t raise them right.
3) As a community, Blacks have really become so uninvolved that it’s like we’re wearing blinders. I can’t tell you how many times I see a young person acting out in public and watch an entire group sit back and do or say nothing. We might just have to get back to the point where we get all up in somebody’s business and call someone on their bullshit. If a young boy is acting a fool in public, an elder should take some initiative and say something. I’m not suggesting to do this to your own detriment orbut start with someone who’s nine or ten. We gotta get them while they’re young.
I think being a man is something learned by one’s self and not taught by another man.
#13. What do those statistics have to do with racism?!
Please inform me. Because last time I checked, the white man didn’t make those young black men stand on the corner, trying to make a quick buck. That was their own decision. If we weren’t stupid enough to do the shit, we wouldn’t be in this mess. We need to take responsiblity for our own actions, stop chasing the fast cash…and in the end we wont be as susceptible to being apart of someone’s damn statistic.
The OJ confession…I made up my mind a long time ago he is guilty….
Suge got exactly what he deserved!…
As far as the police beating, all were wrong in the situation…
My issue with the studies is that they are nothing new.
WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE WE LIVE IT.
Now that it’s out there, though, what is going to happen to change it? Why waste time and resources conducting research to know about a problem and not attempt to fix it?
@28, I AGREE 100%.
Why everything have to be base on race? When the truth of the matter is it’s about choices. I’m black and was homeless at 14 years old. I never committed any crimes or sold drugs. There was other positive choices. I beleive that a lot of african american men and women that choose to sell or commit petty crimes would rather take the easy rode compare to hard work, and that hard work might have to be macdonalds, wendy’s, waiter, laundry helper, janitor I did it all and completed three college degrees. I do not believe that race is always the signifcant factor. If we were in the 60′s or 70′s yeah but in the 80′s 90′ and 2000 I’m not buying the race card…it’s about choices.
I agree # 35
Thank you #29 and #31. What do we do about it? Stop pointing the finger at other people and take responsibility for your own actions.
@29 You have to absorb the lessons but becoming a man is very much taught by other men and their experiences. Think about it if you want to be a good doctor or lawyer or whatever you learn from those in those respective fields. Same with becoming a man.
I mean @30
DUH BLACKS IS MORE LIKELY TO GO TO JAIL AND GET ARRESTED BECAUSE POLICE DONT FOLLOW AROUND WHITES LIKE THEY DO BLACKS. I THINK WHITES DO JUST AS MUCH CRIMES AS BLACKS WE ALL KNOW HOW THE POLICE STAY ON BLACK MEN WHILE THEY FOLLOWING BLACKS THE WHITES ARE GETTING AWAY WITH THE CRIMES!
NOW ON THE POLICE BEATING I DONT CARE WHAT THEY DID ONCE THE POLICE CAUGHT UP WITH THEM THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ARRESTED NOT BEAT!
Reading all that makes my head hurt!Don’t know where to begin.
Good for Suge Knight, somebody needed to show his @ss that he can get Knocked the F*(&ck out just like everybody else.
White people need to understand that OJ got away with murder, get over it. Just like the countless number of white people who got away with murdering blacks. It’s the same thing. They will never let that ish go. But we are expected to.
Unfortunately this study is nothing knew smh.
Wow Suge Knight (and 3 other people) jumped somebody and he still got knocked out.
OJ can’t be tried again (although I think this is why he is facing so much time in the Las Vegas incident) so who ever is coming forward now is a waste of time. However you feel about OJ he was found not guilty be a jury of his peers.
Police brutality… I’m just going to speak factually…
One of the boys is my cousin…no crime rap sheet, never EVER been in trouble, is an overall good boy. Has been around the WORLD with his father and has an education. NOT your typical criminal huh? Now had these same accusations been set upon some other family members I have… I would believe it.
Fact 2… they were not resisting arrest
Fact 3… NO guns were found and the shooter “mysteriously” got away
Fact 4… Noth Philly, 4 guys, one gun, approach a drug corner with 3 guys that had no gun? What were the other 2 doing? Waiting to get shot? NOT realistic in the real life hood.
Fact 5…. Shooting victim said there were not 4 guys who approached and shot him and they did NOT pull up in a gold car…He stated it was ONE guy.
Fact 6…. Police brutality is so prevalant in our Hoods across America, even if they stopped right away, given the mood of the city because of the cop killing that previous Saturday, they would have still recieved the same treatment. What would you do if you had 8 police cars chasing you knowing the temperment of the police department in Philly?
Its brewing Folks…its brewing
O.J. is such old news. When I see or hear anything about him I feel nothing but disgust because he continues to be in the news like he is proud of that. He knows that he will never be forgiven whether people believe he did something or not. He is a loser.
Suge Knight tussling and got knocked out???? All I can say is WOW A!!!!!!
There is no justice when it comes to our people. It is sad, and we must realize that we need to stick together now more than ever. You know that we will always be prejudged just by our looks and movements. Prayer changes things.
oooooooooohhhh, oj did it! big shit!!! i knew that in the 9th grade, homie.
hmm @ stats our judicial system is a lot to be desired. Statisically speaking the media wanted to remind us during this time we are protestingagainst police brutality that black folks are criminals just look at the “stats”? Are they reminding us that the fight against any police injustices are futile because “statiscally” blacks and black men are just criminals anyway so why waste time protesting?
aaaaaaaaaaaah Suge “got knocked the fcuk out” lmao….
Oh and the video almost brought me to tears. I don’t care what those boys did, the police snatched them from the car and brutally, kicked and beat them EXCESSIVELY. One cop even walked around the group so he could get in a few kicks… I don’t care if they had to chase them to another country there was no need for the type of brutality I just witnessed. I can’t tell if any of the cops are black or white all I see is an excessive beat down with three men face down on the ground NOT face up resisting arrest.
Whateva @ OJ. I don’t believe anyone coming out of the woodwork saying “OJ confessed”. Especially a guy who wrote a book and is trying to profit I mean what else would he write but “OJ did it” “OJ confessed to my random arse”
OJ could bloat his hands in those gloves all he wanted to, the world saw that the damn glove fit..lol.. let that woman rest in peace and if OJ did it then he will be dealt with by a much higher power.
so what about asian people?
So what should be done about it? Well, firstly,it starts in the home. Lack of a father figure,no role models,low self-esteem. I could go on. But many have overcame these obstacles and became successful thereafter. We can’t point finger s an blame white people.We are responsible for our own actions.Perhaps, black families need to listen to each other more and communicate more. The dinner tables are too silent and there’s no telling what may be in the thoughts of a child’s/parents mind. Then again,maybe black families should say,”I love you” more to their children, other siblings.A race divided will fall.
One more thing, what is so cool about being a “thug”, “hoochie”, “player?” Absolutely nothing. Too many times, I have seen black families praise a child when he or she can dance, carry a tune while singing their favorite songs.But dismissing the child when he/she is getting good grades, honors,creative awards,etc. Not even the children’s surroundings can influence his/her life as much as an uncaring parent. I am not saying all black families are like this. I am only speaking from what I have seen.
Well from reading the comments under this post it seems to me that blacks are very divided concerning issues that affect black people under the law. I will say it like this many black men sell drugs because they want to live out the American dream of power, wealth,and prestige however they do it deviantly, Alot of these black men feel that there isn’t a place for them in America so selling drugs and getting fast money is the closest way to live out a wealthy lifestyle. Where did these black men get this logic from? They got from other black people that teach them this bullshit. You can still adopt power, wealth, and pretiege by making money the right way, We as black people need to re-teach and re-educate our youth because feeding this negativity is not going to decrease those statistics of black men going to jail. Let’s not forget that racism is not non-existent of today because these circuit judicial court systems can be unjust due to the judges who are white knowing and being acquainted to the criminal. It’s all about who you know. White people look after they own period. Is it predjudice? yes indeed. My grandfather told me that if you play a man’s game you are desgin to fail because the man created the game and most likely if not all the time he will win. We need to stop falling for this game or else black people will stay failing,
O.J. IS STARTING TO DISGUST ME…
I can’t help but laugh at Suge. Your name is Marion and you walk around like everyone is supposed to fear you. How many dudes do you know named Marion? He’s just been compensating ’cause I’m sure he caught it when he was younger. Grow up, dude.
Okay so you helped him get away with it and then tell everybody that YOU did…really smart dumb a**!!!! Mike Gilbert(whoever he is) and O.J. need to be locked up.
LOL.. the drug thing reminds me about Chris Rock’s stand-up. The only reason why drugs — marijuana, cocaine — are illegal in the United States is because they come from “brown” countries! Tobacco and all of these prescription drugs administered by the FDA are just as harmful. In fact, aren’t there reports saying tobacco is more addictive than marijuana? In any case, the only reason why tobacco is legalized is because it’s from here and YTs made a killing off of serving that mess up. WHITE PPL JUST DONT WANNA SEE BROWN PPL COME UP. Damn near NO ONE in this country came up on wealth from all good sources… There was always the start of some ill fucked up mess (i.e. slavery) that was harmful to somebody and made pockets richer.
Not that it matters at this point, lmao the whole world laughing at our broke asses. I’m movin my ass to the UK. Eff America!
@ 28
Definitely agree with you.. however, apart of that is that most of those folks that are getting thrown in jail aren’t just “sellers”. They are addicts! And iono bout you, but that makes no sense to me… throwing a crack addict in jail for doing what their sickness enables them to do — smoke crack! They don’t need to be penalized for it, they need to be helped, remedied, and then some so they may be able to rehabilitate and enter society as a productive person.
@ 55
Yep you right drug possesion charges can be harsh lol these people do need help not thrown in jail where there is no proper treatment.
What I would like to know is why aren’t more Black leaders or black men of some sort of power stepping up to speak about what is going on with our youth. Are they too afraid of not being endorced by certain corporations or sponcers? Why does it seem like Al Sharpton is the only voice for our people. Some are quick to judge him but without his voice and message of hope who could we look to for encouragement.
For all the white men that have hung black men from trees in this country, I could give a damn about this one black man getting away with killing snowflake.
The report that “found that blacks are arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes at a much higher rate than whites” is not new it was reported some years ago. Truthfully speaking, I don’t trust this stats of course there are more black males imprisoned than there are white males but according to this research studies blacks are always on the lowest totem pole.
The issue of police brutality is an ongoing situation, it is truly sad. Hopefully they don’t get away with it but I would not be surprised if they did.
http://WWW.GLAMFABFASHION.COM
Everybody in America already knew that ish! That’s a shame that you can get away with murder in you can pay your way out of it. I could care less if OJ was black, he didn’t have to do them like that… And this is comin from a sista who belives in supporting our brothaz but it is what it is.. Wrong is wrong.