Black in Blue: African-American Police Officers and Racism
Sociologists Bolton and Feagin offer a penetrating look at the tensions within police departments as more and more black officers join what was previously an exclusive and insular workforce. Focusing on 16 different law-enforcement agencies in the South, the authors offer personal accounts by 50 veteran black officers on the day-to-day stress of balancing relationships with distrustful white officers steeped in racial stereotypes and relationships with black communities that often view them as traitors. The authors provide the historical context of the policing of black communities since slavery and the continued disproportionate police attention paid to nonwhite communities, as well as previous sparse research on black police officers. But the most compelling elements of the book are the visceral accounts by black officers facing ongoing hostility and racism from initial training through efforts for advancement. They also offer redeeming accounts of sensitizing fellow officers and humanizing treatment of black communities. Readers interested in law-enforcement and racial issues will appreciate this look at efforts to desegregate police operations and how much more work is needed.Vanessa BushCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved