Curricular Resources > 1996 Volume I > Unit 11 (96.01.11) > Section 2

Multiculturalism and the Law

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 96.01.11

Unit Guide

Multiculturalism and the Law: The Criminal Injustice System—The New Enslavement of People of Color

Pamela Monk Kelley

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Serious Juvenile Arrests by Race

Percent Percent

White Black White Black Ratio

Murder 629 661 48 51 1:1

Rape 2,296 2,406 48 51 1:1

Robbery 9,638 20,060 32 67 1:2

Assault 20,895 14,716 58 41 1:1

Burglary 109,861 32,582 76 23 3:1

Larceny 273,127 103,126 71 27 3:1

Auto Theft 30,120 12,601 69 29 2.5:1

Arson 5,841 937 85 15 6:1

Total Violent 33,458 37,843 46 52 1:1

Total Property 418,949 149,246 72 25 3:1

Total 452,407 187,089 69 29 2.3:1

Source: Crime in the United States, 1985, p. 176.

The data shows that minorities are disproportionately represented in the arrest statistics. The Uniform Crime Reports also list arrests of hispanic youths who are included as part of the white group.

Corruption was also evident in prison conditions and inmate rights. The problems with prison and character of inmate life were demonstrated by an uprising at New York’s Attica Correctional Facility in Sept. 9, 1971. For both inmates and officers at Attica, “corrections” meant an atmosphere charged with racism. Attica racial polarity and mistrust were magnified by the keepers being white and the kept were largely Black or Spanish-speaking. Racism was manifested in job assignments, discipline, self-segregation in the inmate mess halls, and in the daily interactions of the inmates. In United States ex rel. Gereau V. Henderson, 1976, it was decided that prisoners are not stripped of their constitutional rights, including the right to due process, when the prison gate slams shut behind them.

Racism, politics, and socio-economic status are factors that lessen the chances of minorities getting a fair trial with the present Criminal Justice System. However, some bias is due more to cultural or socio-economic factors than racism which leads to another area of concern on how the cases of Minority entertainers’ are handled and having wealth can influence a more desirable outcome. We must consider the impact of high profile cases such as, OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Menendez Bros., Michael Tyson, Michael Jordan, Mayor Barry, just to name a few, where they are tried for their race and status, instead of the charge. OJ Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend. Erik and Lyle Menendez were spared the death penalty for methodically gunning down their wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. While fame and fortune are the common denominators, the media and the justice system have a way of reminding People of Color that they are not White.

In Essence, racism is taught. It is not hereditary, but environmental. The worst thing one can catch as a child is not, measles, chicken pox, or mumps, but racism. Racism is an addictive mental health disease. Students are not born with it, they learn negative behaviors from their primary adult agents. Though commonly picked up as a child, “racism is curable with a healthy dose of cultural awareness and individual effort.” Some people in this world assume one knows less because of the spelling of the last name and his complexion. The law prohibits public schools from discriminating on the basis of language, religion, and skin color. Teacher Training is important because of the growing diversity in the community. Raising sensitivity is important. People are looking for a way to talk about the taboo: discrimination and prejudice in all forms; from racism to homophobia to anti-semitism. Each staff member needs training to handle racial and ethnic issues in similar ways. The classroom should be used to reteach and bring awareness to all students. Many families are culturally incompetent, and unaware from lack of exposure to other cultures. New Dimensions in Early Childhood Education with the emphasis on Multiculturalism Education and the Law (starting with self), would be one positive effort towards changing attitudes. Self-awareness, means everyone has prejudices and needs to look at self before addressing institutional racism. We need to look at ourselves in order to deal effectively with biases we hold. People of Color are lacking in representation, and what is happening is racial tension is increasing. There should be more effort in education, prevention, and treatment of Juveniles, then there will be less need for law enforcement. It is crucial that there is diversity training, sensitivity programs, and more minority hiring in the city and school system.

I teach Life Skills to Juveniles from many different backgrounds. My curriculum addresses how the media exposes and deals with racism in the Criminal Justice System. Justice Department Officials advanced a national plan to endorse the criminal prosecution of juveniles in adult court. The move to try juveniles in adult court was 1996 presidential politics rather than good policy. Youth are often sexually, physically, and mentally abused in adult prisons. Due to many changes in the law, for example “Three strikes and you’re out law” where violent criminals are sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of a third violent offense, it is necessary for us to continually educate the juveniles on the existing laws and their impact on the criminal justice system. The reciprocity concept of returning something of value to society can be crucial to rehabilitate the typical young offender, who’s not yet into a criminal pattern and has no set lifestyle.

Some sociologists would argue that delinquency is contributed to negative media exposure. One aspect of the social learning theory is that, youths are particularly susceptible to imagery. Many youth are not able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Systematic exposure to violence on TV, in music, and through other means of the media, may influence aggressiveness, and antisocial behavior patterns.

Objectives

1) To understand how the media may influence our social customs and attitudes.
2) To help students confront the possible anti-social values portrayed in the media.
3) To assist students in thinking through some of their own and their families’ ethical values in comparison with those presented in the media.
4) To develop the ability to identify stereotypes in the media.
5) To understand that we are all members of different groups which are neither inherently good nor bad, but are important parts of the world we live in.
6) To understand that TV influences our feelings about and knowledge of ourselves and our relationships with others.
7) To develop the ability to identify subtle, as well as obvious characteristics of TV characters and messages, and to differentiate between the different elements of fantasy and reality.
8) To compare and contrast the traits of TV characters with characters from literature, film, and people we know (the universality of human traits).
9) To help students recognize the distortions and risks of imitation produced by the media’s frequent portrayals of violence. (Media that graphically depicts far more acts of aggression and violence than most of us will encounter over a lifetime), and to enable students to learn how to analyze the media that influence and pervade their lives.
10) To raise student’ awareness about multiculturalism and the law.

Strategies

1) Through case studies, the students will take a survey in class, tabulate results, create graphs, and interpret statistics.
2) By using currents events, the students will explore how the media portray the races, and whether they are fair.
3) The students will evaluate the role race plays in the US and communicate solutions for improving race relations to other students, teachers and the community.
4) The students will choose a trade, keep journals and critique newspaper articles, often those that call for value judgement.
5) Through television series like LAPD and New York Undercover, my students will be able to evaluate the injustice served by the system.
6) I will use music as an instrument to understand patterns, values, beliefs, and behaviors. By using a wide variety of musical selections, the students will develop a songbook including a description of the type of music, nationality, culture, ritual, origin, era, and other pertinent information about the artists.

Classroom Activities

Activity One: Students will watch television and pretend they are producers. Their task would be to develop a series from LAPD, or New York Undercover, and complete the following information. One episode they want to deal with is Police Brutality.

1) From the credits write down the names of:

____ Producer __________

____ An Actor or Actress __________

____ Camera Operator __________

____ Sound (or “Audio”) Person __________

____ Make-up person __________

2) Imagine you are a movie critic. Write a review of the program you watched for your readers.

__________

3) Tell the justice or injustice served by the criminal justice system.

__________

4) Change the ending and write it down.

__________

5) Write down any issues that deal with a violation of civil rights.

__________

6) Were you satisfied with the ways in which these were handled, and how would these issues evolve.

__________

Activity two: Write a short scene for an video production to accompany your favorite song.

__________

Rewrite your video using other ethnic groups, (except your own), exploring their social customs and attitudes.

__________

3) How did the differences or similarities, change the script? and how difficult was it for you to think like your character?

__________

Activity three: Ask class to develop a songbook. Materials needed: Construction Paper, pencils, and list of songs and entertainers. Students must select at least four entertainers from four different ethnic groups.

Complete the following information:

Name of Entertainer __________

Name of Song __________

Music (Type, origin, era, etc.)__________

__________

Other pertinent information about the artists (Birth, hometown, childhood, schooling, success or failure) __________

__________

Nationality of Entertainer (Tell some of its customs, rituals, etc.)

__________

Activity four: Karaoke Day. Students will select a song, fill out a Request Card, and sing their favorite song. Materials needed; Karaoke equipment, student songbooks (karaoke songbook.)

Write down the name of the each song selected by your classmates and arrange in the proper category.

Gospel
R& B
Songs with Souls
Pop Hits
Motown Hits
Country Hits
English Songs
Top Rock Hits
Specialty Songs

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				Percent	Percent
		White	Black	White	Black	Ratio
Murder	629	661	48	51	1:1
Rape	2,296	2,406	48	51	1:1
Robbery	9,638	20,060	32	67	1:2
Assault	20,895	14,716	58	41	1:1
Burglary	109,861	32,582	76	23	3:1
Larceny	273,127	103,126	71	27	3:1
Auto Theft	30,120	12,601	69	29	2.5:1
Arson	5,841	937	85	15	6:1
Total Violent	33,458	37,843	46	52	1:1
Total Property	418,949	149,246	72	25	3:1
Total	452,407	187,089	69	29	2.3:1