Summary Of Robyn Maynard's Policing Black Lives

The state of Black life in Canada today is the outcome of long time neglect, abuse, violence and surveillance; which all started with the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Policing Black Lives is a book written by black feminist writer Robyn Maynard. Her book tells the stories of Black life and experiences in Canada, addresses a multitude of issues, and shines light on the harsh realities faced by the Black community due anti-Black practices and views. This book holds a complete account of hundreds of years of criminalization, punishment and surveillance by the State of Black lives in Canada.

My overall impression of the book was that it was very well written, interesting, and extremely shocking. I was very aware prior to reading the book that

The book highlights both historical and recent events surrounding the issues involving race and racial segregation. “Historically, the concept of race has changed across cultures and eras, eventually becoming less connected with ancestral and familial ties, and more concerned with superficial physical characteristics” (Little, 2014, Ch. 11.1). Author Robyn Maynard explains that much of the racial issues faced by Black Canadians has to do with the fact that they are part of the visible minority. She explains that because Black Canadians are part of the minority, the “Black communities experience significant societal pressure to appeal to white middle-class norms (Maynard, 2017, pg. 13)”. In addition, Black people also feel the pressure to defend themselves on grounds that they too are law-abiding citizens, due to the fact that they have been assigned a negative identity because of the colour of their skin. Due to racist views, Black Canadians are most vulnerable because they are “stigmatized and rendered disposable...vulnerable to state abuse, exploitation, confinement and even death with little to no outcry (Maynard, 2017, pg. 14)”. Historically, slavery of Black persons was practiced in Canada for a few hundred years, however, many people are unaware of this due to the fact that Canadian schools do not educate students about this historical event. “It is the practice of

This book made me realize racial issues that are occurring in today’s society were a lot worse that they appeared to be. Overall, the book was worth the read, as it got me to think and reflect on today’s society. I don’t believe that there were many gaps in the authors analysis as it shockingly clear that Black Canadians have in the past and even still today experience discrimination, and racism.

Conclusion

Policing Black Lives a book written by Robyn Maynard addresses the many issues faced by Black Canadians. Her book holds an almost complete account of hundreds of years of neglect, criminalization, punishment and surveillance of Black lives in Canada. Historically, the Black population has undergone racism, slavery and segregation. However, today they still face many of the same and even new issues. The state of Black life in Canada is the outcome of long time neglect and dehumanization. The main issues presented throughout the book were those associated with race, crime and gender; and have occurred throughout time, and still exist today. Maynard’s book tells the horrific stories of Black life and experiences in Canada, addresses a many issues, and focuses on the harsh realities faced by the Black community due reoccurring anti-Black practices and