The Myth of Black on Black Crime.

Black on Black crime is a term used to describe the killings of black people committed by other black people. It insinuates that race plays a major role in violence that occurs in the black community. Black on black crime is a mythological concept and is used as a talking point to derail us from the real issues at hand. 

Politicians and the media in particular are the first to vilify black people. Black on black crime seems to be the main argument to subdue the Black Lives Matter movement against systematic – institutionalised racism. 

Crime is often about proximity and socio-economic factors. Black people are not killing other black people because of the colour of their skin! Criminals will hurt those around them regardless of their race. Black on black crime, White on White crime, Asian on Asian crime etc, is just crime – it is not determined by race! For instance, if you are living in a neighbourhood heavily populated with black people, then you are most likely to be killed by a black person and the same goes for other races. 

A large majority of crimes committed against white people are carried out by white people themselves. Federal data from 2016 show that the rate of white on white crime is approximately at 82% whilst black on black crime is at 89%. The statistics are almost equivalent. 

However, we don’t hear the term ‘white on white crime’ being thrown about. Why have no other races been given the same narrative? That is because they will use any opportunity to criminalise black people. Criminalising white people is purposeless to them and so this false narrative of black people is created because they want to paint innocent black people as villains. They are teaching us to hate ourselves and want us to internalise this notion. 

Black on black crime is also often used when discussing gang violence. The term is complicit in moving the blame away from the structure of white supremacy which reinforces gang violence. The staggering rates of poverty, the disproportionate allocation of resources and the displacement of black people are all components of white supremacy which promotes this type of inequality. The blaming of black people for violence in our community is an unsurprising yet distasteful way that the oppressor escapes accountability yet again. Black on black crime is an empty point and a social construct created by white supremacists to justify their racist viewpoints and to deflect away from the ultimate issue. 

The phrase has been integrated into society to conceal the deep-rooted issues within the police force such as the lack of adequate training of officers. These officers have been trained under a social order that regards black people as ‘thugs’ and ‘criminals’. No diversity training is enforced to make sure they impose law free of bias. Instead, they have taken the law into their own hands, serving “justice” themselves. Harming and assaulting black people and too often, killing them.