The over-policing of black communities turns seemingly race-neutral laws into tools of racial oppression. Jaywalking, for instance, is a crime that Black pedestrians are disproportionately charged with violating, even though there’s no evidence that Black people jaywalk any more than White people. Even truancy laws designed to stop children from skipping school are disproportionately applied to Black, Indigenous, and Latino students. One study showed Black Americans are five times as likely to be arrested compared to their White counterparts. Clearly, even when laws are designed to help or safeguard society, racism in law enforcement undermines the goal of this legislation. That’s why a new Philadelphia law that bans ski masks from being worn in some public spaces is raising eyebrows in the black community.
I Left My Clay Mask on Overnight. Is That Okay?
Itwas 11 p.m. on a cold Wednesday evening, I just finished my last task of the day and I was ready to unwind. My…