The Black Middle Class

Research has shown that middle-class Blacks are less likely to be victims of formal, overt discrimination. This research generally credits middle-class Blacks with education and social status that protects them from discrimination. Little research examines middle-class interactions with law enforcement and violent or threatening treatment, in general. This chapter sheds light on a group of individuals who do not receive much attention but are nonetheless victims. Law enforcement personnel, criminal justice students, and others will be able to examine the experience of the Black middle-class where victimization supersedes class.