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The Foundation of Policing
What Americans may have forgotten.
Although some argue that today’s police departments do not exhibit systemic racism, taking a look at the history of this country provides a different perspective.
“I don’t think there’s systemic racism in US police forces. I think 99.9% of our law enforcement are great Americans. There are just some bad apples in there.” -Robert O’Brien, National Security Advisor for the Trump Administration.
The African ancestors of Black Americans came to this country after being captured from their homeland by White colonizers in 1619. They were sentenced to enslavement and bondage by people who viewed them as less than human and were tasked with the job of building this entire country — for free.
Since the colonizers feared a slave revolt, they developed a system of policing to ensure there were consequences for anyone who dared to defy their slave masters.
By the early 1700s, America had begun to develop a form of law enforced by the Slave Patrols, also known as “paddy rollers.” This organization regulated the slaves by using brutal physical force, traumatizing mental intimidation…
