People of color face a higher likelihood of being killed by police than do white men and women, that risk peaks in young adulthood, and that men of color face a non-trivial lifetime risk of being killed by police.
Denial and avoidance, then, appear to be the main techniques for dealing with one of the most pervasive and crucial problems of U.S. society.
In the wake of high-profile police killings in the past years, media outlets have begun to collate information in order to paint a more complete picture of police violence in the United States.
The United States has a duty to take urgent action to prevent and remedy the excessive use of force by police against Black Americans. Despite the growing awareness of police brutality, police officers found guilty are hardly held accountable for their actions; they are often acquitted or, if convicted, receive much lighter sentences than are typical for civilians convicted of similar crimes.
Lack of accountability lies at the heart of a cycle of police violence and discrimination against Black Americans.