RACIAL PURITY AND DANGEROUS BODIES : moral pollution, black lives, and the struggle for ... justice

Beyond the rhetoric of civil rights, At the center of contemporary struggles over aggressive policing practices is the association in US culture of Blackness with criminality. Rima L. Vesely-Flad examines the religious and philosophical constructs of the Black body in US society, exploring racialized ideas about purity and pollution as they have developed historically and as they are institutionalized today in racially disproportionate policing and mass incarceration. These systems work, she argues, to keeps supposedly threatening elements of society in a constant state of harassment and tension so that they are unable to pollute the morals of mainstream society. Policing establishes racialized boundaries between communities deemed "dangerous" and communities deemed "pure" and, along with prisons and reentry policies, sequesters and restrains the pollution of convicted "criminals," thus perpetuating the image of the threatening Black male criminal. Vesely-Flad shows how the anti-Stop-and-Frisk and the Black Lives Matter movements have confronted these systems by exposing unquestioned assumptions about Blackness and criminality. They hold the potential, she argues, to reverse the construal of "pollution" and invasion in America's urban cores if they extend their challenge to mass imprisonment and the barriers to reentry of convicted felons. Book jacket. At The Center Of Contemporary Struggles Over Aggressive Policing Practices Is An Assumed Association In U.s. Culture Of Blackness With Criminality. Rima L. Vesely-flad Examines The Religious And Philosophical Constructs Of The Black Body In U.s. Society, Examining Racialized Ideas About Purity And Pollution As They Have Developed Historically And As They Are Institutionalized Today In Racially Disproportionate Policing And Mass Incarceration. These Systems Work, She Argues, To Keeps Threatening Elements Of Society In A Constant State Of Harassment And Tension So That They Are Unable To Pollute The Morals Of Mainstream Society. Policing Establishes Racialized Boundaries Between Communities Deemed Dangerous And Communities Deemed Pure And, Along With Prisons And Reentry Policies, Sequesters And Restrains The Pollution Of Convicted Criminals, Thus Perpetuating The Image Of The Threatening Black Male Criminal. Vesely-flad Shows How The Anti-stop And Frisk And The Black Lives Matter Movements Have Confronted These Systems By Exposing Unquestioned Assumptions About Blackness And Criminality. They Hold The Potential, She Argues, To Reverse The Construal Of Pollution And Invasion In America's Urban Cores If They Extend Their Challenge To Mass Imprisonment And The Barriers To Reentry Of Convicted Felons. Introduction -- Part I. Race And Moral Pollution -- 1. A Socio-historical Review Of Race And Morality -- 2. Constructions Of Character And Criminality In Nineteenth-century Us Penal Systems -- 3. Institutionalizing Pollution Boundaries : Policing, Imprisonment, And Reentry -- Part Ii. Racial Justice Movements -- 4. Policing Dark Bodies In Polluted Spaces : Stop And Frisk In New York City, 1993-2013 -- 5. Confronting Pollution : Protest As The Performance Of Purity In The Black Lives Matter Movement -- 6. Seeing Jesus In Michael Brown : New Theological : Constructions Of Blackness -- 7. Conclusion : Reconstructing The Image Of The Polluted Black Body. Rima Vesely-flad. Issued As Part Of Book Collections On Project Muse. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 207-220) And Index. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. At the center of contemporary struggles over aggressive policing practices is an assumed association in U.S. culture of blackness with criminality. Rima L. Vesely-Flad examines the religious and philosophical constructs of the black body in U.S. society, examining racialized ideas about purity and pollution as they have developed historically and as they are institutionalized today in racially disproportionate policing and mass incarceration. These systems keep threatening populations in a constant state of harassment and tension so that they are unable to "pollute" the morals of mainstream so