Black Lives Matter Members' Perceptions of Police Attitudes Towards African Americans Sergio Manuel Montolio Walden University
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Black Lives Matter Members' Perceptions of Police Attitudes Towards African Americans Sergio Manuel Montolio Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Public Administration Commons, and the Public Policy Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Sergio M. Montolio has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Mark Stallo, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Richard Worch, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Joshua Ozymy, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract Black Lives Matter Members’ Perceptions of Police Attitudes Towards African Americans by Sergio M. Montolio MPA, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2005 BA, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University December 2018 Abstract The relationship between the police and African Americans has been fraught for some time. In the 2010s, amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the relationship between African Americans and the police was marked by serious tensions including racism, White privilege, and perceptions of police brutality. The purpose of this case study was to explore the current relationship between the police and the Black Lives Matter social movement and assess movement activists’ perceptions of police actions. The theoretical framework for this qualitative case study was based on procedural justice and the reason of actions component of Derrick Bell’s critical race theory. Data for this study included more than 1,000 social media postings from Facebook and Twitter; 205 public documents, which included police interactions, incident reports, and interviews; and 25 observations from public gatherings between 2013-2016. Data were coded into a priori themes and then content analyzed. Findings indicated that the Black Lives Matter movement generally increases the tensions in the relationship between the police and African Americans, creating emotional strain due to activists’ messages of racism, White privilege, and violence. Recommendations included expanding open communication with the police, providing more training for the police, and encouraging police officers to control their actions when having interactions with African Americans, all of which may result in positive social change. The study findings provided a blueprint for community policing in minority communities. Black Lives Matter Social Movement Members’ Perceptions of Police Attitudes Towards African Americans by Sergio M. Montolio MPA, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2005 BA, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University December 2018 Dedication This study is dedicated to all law enforcement officers, the members of Black Lives Matter Movement and African Americans, as well as all of the minority communities. It is dedicated to all the families that have lost a loved one due to the lack of communication and relationship between the police and the Black Lives Matter movement. Furthermore, it is dedicated to all the citizens who strive every day to make their communities safer to have a more peaceful environment. We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. -- J. K. Rowling Acknowledgments I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to my committee chair, Dr. Mark Stallo, and the other two committee members, Dr. Worch and Dr. Joshua Ben- Jacob Ozymy, for their dedication and commitment to my completion of this dissertation. This could not have been possible without the support, guidance, and endless help all. A very special thank you goes to my great friend and colleague Dr. Shari Merlano who has provided me with moral and emotional support throughout this process. I will always be grateful for the sleeplessness nights I put you through while helping me through this process. This dissertation journey could not have been possible without Dr. Merlano’s continuous engagement in keeping me motivated and support throughout the entire process. Finally, I want to thank and express my sincere gratitude to God for my loving, understanding, energetic, inexhaustible, supportive, and patient wife, Karen, and our children, Issabella, Sergio Jr., Kevin, and Scarlett. Thank you for always believing in me and always cheering me on all my dreams. You have always been an essential part of my life achievements. I am eternally grateful. All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth. Friedrich Nietzche Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ......................................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................9 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................12 Research Questions ......................................................................................................13 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................13 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................15 Operational Definitions ................................................................................................16 Assumptions .................................................................................................................18 Scope of the Study .......................................................................................................18 Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................................18 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................19 Summary ......................................................................................................................20 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................21 Introduction ..................................................................................................................21 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................23 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................23 Procedural Justice Theory ..................................................................................... 23 i Critical Race Theory ............................................................................................. 28 Literature Review of Key Variables and/or Constructs ...............................................30 The Police and African Americans ....................................................................... 30 The Police–African American Encounter ............................................................. 33 African American Perceptions of the Police ......................................................... 43 Role of Social Media on Police Brutality ............................................................. 46 Social Media and Black Lives Matter Social Movement ..................................... 48 Policing African Americans .................................................................................. 52 Broken Windows Theory ...................................................................................... 56 Summary ......................................................................................................................63 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................64 Introduction ..................................................................................................................64