Following last Saturday’s not-guilty verdict in the Trayvon Martin scandal, African-American athletes across the country took to Twitter to express their displeasure.
“America’s justice system is a joke,” tweeted NBA center Kendrick Perkins.
“Sad and [bleeped] up. But I can’t say I’m not surprised,” tweeted NFL defensive end Darnell Dockett.
Meanwhile, one white athlete weighed in regarding the case.
“If you trusted the justice system to find a man guilty, you must trust it when it finds a man not guilty,” tweeted MLB left fielder Bryan Peterson.
What a striking difference: Strong displeasure on the part of African American athletes, one show of faith in the criminal justice system by a white counterpart. Was this a coincidence? I’m afraid not.
The fact of the matter is that many minorities fear the criminal justice system while most whites do not. Statistics suggest why.
Here is the bottom line: America’s justice system is not color blind, and in a nation that preaches racial equality, this is unacceptable.
To fully understand why so many African American athletes spoke out in wake of the Trayvon Martin verdict, it is helpful to examine some statistics.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans make up roughly 13.1 percent of the U.S. population, yet The Federal Bureau of Prisons reports that African Americans make up 37.1 percent of the U.S. prison population. The disparities only begin there.
A 2009 study by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency reported that while white Americans account for 67 percent of arrests, only 40 percent of those arrested are sentenced to prison or jail. African Americans, on the other hand, account for 28 percent of arrests, yet comprise 42 percent of the prison population. What this means is that even though whites are arrested more often, African Americans are more likely to be incarcerated.
One final statistic that must be noted involves sentencing. According to a 2012 report submitted to Congress by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, African American males, on average, receive 19.5 percent longer sentences than similarly situated white males.
In light of the above statistics, I can appreciate why so many African American athletes were upset following the Martin verdict. The U.S. criminal justice system is a dangerous place for minorities. Enter the walls of a courtroom as a minority and a just outcome is far from guaranteed.
Unlike minorities, white fans and athletes have little to fear. There is no reason to speak out. There is no reason to tweet. Like Bryan Peterson, most of us trust the criminal justice system. We have been given no reason to feel otherwise.
What it ultimately comes down to is this. Racial inequalities in the criminal justice system affect everyone regardless of their skin color. I admire African American athletes who questioned the system following the Martin verdict. I wish more white athletes would have done the same.
At the end of the end of the day, sports fans and athletes have a responsibility to step outside athletic arenas and engage in societal issues. We have a right to call for criminal justice reform. We have a right to demand justice. We must demand color blindness in our criminal justice system.
