Police Brutality, Over-Policing, and Mass Incarceration in African American Film

Abstract

This article seeks to examine the role of the police in African American film. Looking at the last three decades of filmmaking, five films stand out as important examples for this study: Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, Set it Off, Training Day, and Get Out. These films are both consistent in the message regarding the police and African American communities, and are separated by time to demonstrate the distinct differences in how that message has been shown. An examination of the real-world relationship between the two groups is also studied, to better understand the accuracy of the films. The gendering of film and police brutality is a further discussion within the article in regard to the lack of female African American directors in Hollywood and the less frequently discussed police violence against African American women. These issues are addressed through a combination of film analysis and secondary source data on the police interaction and brutality in the African American community.