A CONTINUAL NARRATIVE AND BLACK MALE DISCIPLINE AT STATE AGENCIES

A sentient human being has to wonder about the disproportion of disciplinary actions against black male employees within Connecticut Juvenile Training School / Department of Children and Families in Connecticut. There have been numerous lawsuits, demonstrations, media reports, employee complaints, hunger strikes etc to highlight the racial animus at these two agencies. I would like to offer a theory about why the racism might be happening. In America it is documented that a continual narrative in the thinking of whites allowed in the past slavery, lynching, inhuman working conditions against African sold as slaves. The white narrative justified this barbaric treatment based on stereotypes of blacks being lazy, less than human, child like in their thinking or sinister in nature. That narrative allowed slavery to take root in the South for several hundred years and of course helped serve white people's material interests.

In contemporary society it is not politically correct to mention racism. Indeed, the Eden like atmosphere at DCF /CJTS lulls a person into thinking there are no real concerns, until you look at data which reveal 66% of all disciplinary actions target black males. Employees of color only make up between 44-45 % of the employment force. How can the termination, reprimands and other measures be justified? It all goes back to a continual narrative in the thinking of whites in charge of both agencies.

America did not acknowledge for years racial problems existed until the hideous secret could no longer be swept under the social rug. Blacks marched, sang, protested and died for a right to be viewed as human. Claims of no racial problems come out from mouths of DCF / CJTS officials with relative ease. Yet for years a continual narrative of heavy handed tactics against black males persists. Let me look at it another way. Trayvon Martin was killed by a man in Florida who had a continual narrative in his head which said " he   [Trayvon] looked like a thug. " Republicans introduced legislation to have voters [ in black voting districts ] to show special identification in order to vote. These narratives from mostly white Republican males claimed such ID would help with voting integrity. Yeah right. If we juxtapose these stories next to what is happening on the DCF Plantation then it is evident a continual narrative about blacks is the norm in America.

In the final analysis something is wrong at these state run facilities when allegations of racism keep coming to the forefront.