Black Lives Matter in Criminology? Let’s Prove It

• Author: Katheryn Russell-Brown
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Date: 01 July 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/2153368720983436
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Black Lives Matter in

Criminology? Let’s

Prove It

Katheryn Russell-Brown

1

Abstract

This essay examines the the academic journey—graduate school to full professor—of

an African American professor of criminology and criminal justice. The essay discusses

the how criminology and criminologists address race issues and offers a wish list of

strategies designed to address problematic practices and racial pitfalls within crim-

inology programs.

Keywords

academia, racial climate, criminology programs, mentorship, faculty relations, graduate

school

Introduction

On her walk to a convenience store on Memorial Day, 2020, a Minneapolis high

school student noticed there was a police encounter underway. She pushed record on

her cell phone and began videotaping the incident. At the beginning of the incident,

video footage shows a very alive George Floyd who had been pulled out of his car by

four police officers. He asks why he is being arrested. At the end, Floyd pleads for his

life, says he was not able to breathe, and calls for his children and his deceased mother.

The video shows Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee pressed

down on Floyd’s neck for many minutes. Estimates vary, but by all accounts it was

longer than 7 minutes (Walsh, 2020). This is a long time.

I have not been able to watch more than 20 seconds or so of this video. Over the

years, I have seen countless videos and photographs of Black people being beaten,

choked, kicked, and shot, as they begged for their lives. There is psychological trauma

1

Levin College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Katheryn Russell-Brown, Levin College of Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Email: russellbrownk@law.ufl.edu

Race and Justice

2021, Vol. 11(3) 328–337

ªThe Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/2153368720983436

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