5-2: Module Five Assignment Two Jasmine Peters (Jay) SNHU CJ-120-T6769 Cultural Awareness in CJ 23EW6 Dr. Derrick Jones July 29, 2023
5-2: Module Five Assignment Two Views African Americans are the group I chose from the options presented. It is well known that this particular group has the most encounters with various specialists working in the criminal justice system. From "stop and frisk" procedures and traffic stops to arrests and incarceration rates, the problem is widespread. African Americans tend to hold negative opinions toward those who work in the criminal justice system. Over the course of their lives, they have been subjected to racism, oppression, and injustice at the hands of the police. When it comes to matters of criminal justice, they are living dangerously because it is almost as if they are waiting for something unfair to take place. Recent events in the United States have shown that people are finished with it, and they are declaring that they will not tolerate any more of it. There is, as there must be at all times, an exceptional case, and that exceptional case dominates the thoughts of most individuals. Equally, not all African Americans are violent criminals or lawbreakers, just as not all police personnel hold racist attitudes toward African Americans and their communities. Both the African American person and the police are placed in a difficult or stressful situation as a result of this situation. One side anticipates that they will be treated unfairly, while the other side anticipates that they will receive an answer that is non-compliant. Both of these mindsets make the interaction challenging, and it becomes nearly impossible to conclude it in an amicable manner. The court system and prisons operate in the same way. Their outward appearance or the manner in which they communicate can inspire hostility or confusion. A black male was chatting over the phone in a jail in San Francisco, California, when he remarked, "He come tell 'bout I'm going to take the TV," which suggested that this man was not going to do so, similar to one of the examples offered in the article "Could Black English Mean a Prison Sentence?" by John
McWorter. The article was titled "Could Black English Mean a Prison Sentence?" It would appear that the transcriber listening in was unable to grasp the first part of the sentence because they transcribed the entire thing as "I'm going to take the TV" (Mcwhorter, 2019). Misunderstandings Language is going to serve as an illustration of a common misconception. According to John McWorter's article "Could Black English Mean a Prison Sentence?" an African American man named Warren Demesme was questioned by police after his arrest for sexual assault and asked to speak with an attorney by stating, "Why don't you just give me a lawyer, dog?" People can't say anything to police after asking for a lawyer, but Demesme's rights were overlooked because it was said he had asked for a "lawyer dog," not a real lawyer" (Mcwhorter, 2019).