Minority-Police Interaction and “The Talk”

• In Event: Racism in Policing - Discourses of the State and Discourses of Resistance

Abstract

While it appears as though many African American/Black parents have conversations (also known as “the talk”) with their children about how to interact with police officers, it is not clear Latino parents have a similar talk with their children. Given that Latinos are now the largest minority group in the U.S., it remains unclear if such an increased visibility has forced these parents to have “the talk.” Research exploring how “the talk” influences minority-police interactions is virtually nonexistent. As such, this paper examines how the “the talk” may influence minority youths’ perceptions of police officers and subsequent behaviors. The racial threat theory is used as a theoretical framework for this paper. Surveys administered at a historically black institution and a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution shed light on the role of “the talk” in minority-police interactions. The findings are discussed, and recommendations for future research are offered.

Authors

• Myrna Cintron, Prairie View A&M University

• Marika Dawkins, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

• Camille Gibson, Prairie View A&M University