RACISM

How The Assumptions White People Hold Put Black Lives in Danger

An essay confronting racism in law enforcement

Roger Fortson standing near his little sister | Photo posted by Ben Crump, the family’s attorney

While America’s legal system is often portrayed as an impartial juror, it is not colorblind. Black people are more likely to be stopped, arrested, abused, and even killed by police officers. A recent study suggested many Black civilians shot by police would still be alive “had they been White.” A recent example illustrates this disturbing pattern. On May 3rd, a Florida Deputy shot and killed Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old U.S. Airman, in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach. Despite being home alone and video chatting with his girlfriend at the time, the deputy shot Fortson with a barrage of bullets after answering the door — a lethal response predicated on the assumption that he was dangerous.

The circumstances leading up to Fortson’s death are raising questions about the racial bias in policing that endangers Black people’s lives. When the Okaloosa Sherriff’s Department responded to a woman’s call about an argument, they mistakenly knocked on Fortson’s door despite him being home alone and not involved in any dispute. Understandably cautious, Fortson armed himself and opened the door with the gun pointing at the floor. The deputy announced himself upon seeing Fortson and immediately…