The right to breathe: a sociological commentary on racialized injustice, borders and violence

Abstract

Purpose

This article is a commentary on the structure, context and unsettling circumstances of prejudice, discrimination, racial violence and injustice in the contemporary US.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the narrating voices of victims of authority violence in part, the author presents a sociological analysis of the patterns of racial injustice, borders and racialized police violence. The author uses tenets of C.W. Mill's Sociological Imagination to dissect these patterns historically and social structurally.

Social implications

Using contemplative narrative, the author stimulates reflection on the social structural forces that perpetuate racial injustice. The author deliberates on the role and responsibilities of universities and the broader community in the struggle for a just society. Echoing societal calls to tackle and eliminate systemic subjugation, the author reiterates the need for reformist advocacy, for civility and the preservation of the human rights of all citizens.

Originality/value

The author offers principles of reflective action to chart a pathway for a just and equitable society; ultimately shaping a mature system of democracy and collective liberation.

Citation

Meikle, P.A. (2020), "The right to breathe: a sociological commentary on racialized injustice, borders and violence", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 39 No. 7, pp. 793-801. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2020-0152