Centering Race in the Study of Crime and Criminal Justice

Abstract

A compelling body of work documents the role of race and racism in shaping crime and legal system outcomes (Braga, Brunson and Drakulich 2019; Du Bois 1899; Muhammed 2010; Peterson and Krivo 2005, 2010; Petersen and Ward 2015; Sampson and Wilson 1995). Though a significant and longstanding interest in criminology since its American beginning, this scholarship is often relegated to the margins (but see the scholarly agenda of the Racial Democracy Crime and Justice Network). Recent high profile events of ghastly police brutality such as the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and many other unarmed civilians bring into sharp focus how Blacks (and other racialized groups) repeatedly bear the brunt of systemic racism. These horrific incidents and the attendant public outcry, especially in initial support for Black Lives Matter (BLM), have also served as a catalyst for mainstream criminology to reckon with the role historic and modern day racism plays in shaping crime and social control outcomes. Contemporary, high-profile tragedies along with robust