Counsels on Social Issue

Counsel #10 — Racial Profiling And Its Impact

Picture: Counsel #10 — Racial Profiling And Its Impact CSI 29.1

Racial profiling is systemic racism in action, evident in daily life. It’s often seen when police treat Black people differently. Statistics show Black drivers are more likely to be pulled over and cited than those with lighter skin. The response, “don’t do the crime if you don’t want to do the time,” ignores that the same offense is treated differently based on race, implying guilt based on appearance, not evidence. CSI 29.2

Beyond law enforcement, racial profiling occurs in everyday situations—like a woman clutching her purse when a Black person walks by or people shifting belongings in an elevator out of fear. Black individuals often face excessive scrutiny or are ignored altogether in consumer experiences. CSI 29.3

These subtle actions happen daily but have broader impacts, contributing to lack of job opportunities, loss of employment, inadequate healthcare, unlawful arrests, violence, murder, and suicide—not to mention the mental health toll of living with constant microaggressions and oppression. CSI 29.4

Racial profiling perpetuates societal barriers, fostering division. Even if you don’t engage in these actions, assumptions are made, leading to defensive attitudes and reinforcing stereotypes, creating mutual distrust, each side waiting for the other to change.^[64] CSI 29.5

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." Psalms 82:3 NIV CSI 29.6

“Men may have both hereditary and cultivated prejudices, but when the love of Jesus fills the heart, and they become one with Christ, they will have the same spirit that He had.” Ellen White in The Southern Work, p. 14 CSI 29.7

Reflect: In what ways can you be intentional in standing against racial profiling? CSI 29.8