The color of crime
Subtitle: racial hoaxes, white fear, black protectionism, police harassment, and other macroaggressions
By: Katheryn K. Russell.
Series: Critical America
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 203
Subjects: Discrimination in criminal justice administration -- United States.; Crime and race -- United States.; Afro-American criminals.; Racism -- United States.
Description: Perhaps the most explosive and troublesome phenomenon at the nexus of race and crime is the racial hoax - a contemporary version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Examining both White-on-Black hoaxes such as Susan Smith's and Charles Stuart's claims that Black men were responsible for crimes they themselves committed, and Black-on-White hoaxes such as the Tawana Brawley episode, Russell illustrates the formidable and lasting damage that occurs when racial stereotypes are manipulated and exploited for personal advantage. She shows us how such hoaxes have disastrous consequences and compellingly argues for harsher punishment for offenders.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-198) and index.