Black millennials see political action as the answer to police violence

By Kelly Cohen, Kelly Cohen

Published December 20, 2015

A decade-long review of black millennials says black millennials have been reporting for years that they face a higher risk of harassment and violence at the hands of police, and that blacks are increasingly hopeful that participation in the political process can bring about change.

In the detailed report released by Black Youth Project titled "Black Millennials in America," black youth reported the highest rates of police harassment or violence, while also saying they experienced it at nearly twice the rate of other young people.

When asked "Have you or anyone you know experienced harassment or violence at the hands of police?" 54 percent of black millennials (ages 18-29) said yes, compared to 33 percent of white millennials and 25 percent of Latino millennials who said yes.

That data was from a 2009 Mobilization and Change survey, well before Trayvon Martin was killed in Florida and a series of episodes between police and black youth became a national discussion. The report didn't provide updated data on the extent to which minorities are seeing police violence, but it did note that in 2014, only 27 percent of black youth agreed that the "American legal system treats all groups equally."