Miles Zotti, Nederland. A cell phone. Air freshener. A broken taillight. Taking a run. Walking home. What do these things have in common? All of these examples have been a death sentence for young black Americans, and it seems every year the list of senseless violence performed by law enforcement grows. With that, we as a society are left to make sense of these incidents and ask ourselves, why does this keep happening? 

The death of 20 year-old Daunte Wright exemplifies the flaws and shortcomings of the American justice system we live in today. On April 11th, 2021 Wright was shot by Kimberly Potter, a veteran police officer who was performing a traffic stop and arrest for outstanding warrants in Wright’s name. The story has escalated to national coverage, and outrage has sparked across the country.

 Potter claims she mistook her handgun for a taser and mistakenly shot Wright at the scene. As of today, Potter has resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police Department and has been charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter. We must ask the question: Is this justice? Is Kimberly Potter simply a bad apple in the bunch? A dive into the statistics may have our answer. 

A study from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states: “Black men are about 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police over the life course than are white men. Black women are about 1.4 times more likely to be killed by police than are white women.”. This excerpt describes a shocking disparity between the lived experiences of many black men and women and white Americans. This contrast has been highlighted over the past year with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others. The blatant display of violence and brutality against African Americans has been an issue for a long time, but the public is finally becoming conscious of these systemic problems. It’s an interesting shift to see, and I’m optimistic on our outlook we have taken on issues like police brutality.

 With the recent conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, it shows as proof that justice is being served. His conviction is a small step in the right direction towards a freer, safer America. As we continue to examine the systems that have governed our society for hundreds of years, we can reflect on its flaws and make changes to improve it. The combined culture shift that occurred over the past year and a number of changes being made to legislation, we can only hope the oppressive systems in place will work for the people, not against them. I find myself hopeful that these changes bring a connotation of justice and reform that will leave lasting positive change in our society. It is up to every one of us to look deep inside ourselves and the world around us to change for the better.

[Miles Zotti is a sophomore student at Nederland High School.]

(Originally published in the April 29, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)