ABSTRACT

This chapter will examine the perceptions of African American males regarding their disproportionate representation in the American criminal justice system. Specifically, this chapter will critically assess, via official arrest statistics, how the over-representation of Black males in the criminal justice system serves the following purposes: 1) strengthens and maintains White supremacy and 2) normalizes Black male deaths and incarceration. To delve into the aforementioned, the authors will use content analysis in order to evaluate the comments made by internet users on a Washington Post article that highlights the over-representation of Black males in the criminal justice system. Lastly, the following question was foundational in this study: What do the comments made by individuals online reveal about their thoughts regarding the over-representation of African American males in the American criminal justice system and African Americans as a group.