SHADES OF BLACK AND BLUE: HOW RACE AND AMERICAN IDENTITY AFFECT PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to gain an understanding of how race and American identity affect perceptions of the police, paying special attention to how the perspectives and experiences of native black men differ from that of non-­native black men. In order to answer this question, I conducted thirty in-­depth interviews with white and black Princeton University undergraduate male students, ages 18-22 years old, of both American and non-­‐American nationalities. Interviews covered the topics of American identity, racial identity, Princeton University, and police interactions. Unlike what would be expected based on my review of the current literature and analysis of the historical and contemporary sociological trends affecting white and black Americans, my results show that white and native black students are considerably more alike in their experiences and perspectives of the police than their non-­‐native black peers.