Black Women Perceptions Matter: The Role That Gender Plays in the Assessments of Law Enforcement in Ferguson and Baltimore

Abstract

Decades of research on race and policing have offered much insight into the demographic and ecological patterns of these phenomena. African Americans experience significantly more contact with police than do whites. However, few researchers have examined in detail how gender intersects with race and place in determining whether and why Black women are suspicious of the police. Using in-depth interviews, this study compares Black women's and men's accounts to examine whether and why Black participants are suspicious of the police and how these suspicions may vary by gender. Policy implications are discussed, along with concrete recommendations for reducing anti-Black racism in police policy and practice.