On the evening of October 25, 2005, Dr. Antwi Akom an African-American man-- tenure-track professor, winner of numerous teaching awards and fellowships and a tireless advocate for social justice—became a victim of racial profiling.

Racial Profiling occurs when race is used by law enforcement or private security officials as a basis for criminal suspicion. “Racial profiling is a serious human rights problem affecting millions of people in the United Sates in even the most routine aspects of their daily lives. A year-long study conducted by Amnesty International found that the unlawful use of race in police, immigration, and airport security procedures has expend since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The study further found that state laws provide insufficient and inconsistent protection against profiling. Despite promises by President George W. Bush shortly after his taking office to end racial profiling, the number of American ethnic, racial, and religious groups whose members are at high risk of being subjected to this scourge has increased substantially.”

The major findings of the Amnesty International study may be summarized as follows:

• Approximately thirty-two million Americans, a number equivalent to the population of Canada, report they have already been victims of racial profiling.

• Approximately eighty-seven million Americans are at a high risk of being subjected to future racial profiling during their lifetime.

• Racial profiling directly affects Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Arab Americans, Persian Americans, American Muslims, a many immigrants and visitors, and, under certain circumstances, white Americans.

• Racial profiling happens to both women and men, affects all age groups, is used against people from all socio-economic backgrounds, and occurs in rural, suburban, and urban areas.

• Racial profiling of citizens and visitors of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, and others who appear to be from these areas or members of the Muslim and Sikh faiths, has substantially increased since September 11, 2001.

Dr. Akom's case, the law suit by Black Capitol Police Officers against the Capitol police department in Washington D.C., and the report by Amnesty International, serve as national reminders that racial profiling, institutional racism, and discrimination are still serious human rights problems that affect millions of Americans on a daily basis. As recently as the 2004 elections, racial profiling was a central issue in national discourse. When the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) was first introduced with bipartisan support in 2001, both President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft expressed their support for ending racial profiling. In fact, eradicating racial profiling by law enforcement was one of President Bush’s campaign promises. However, in the post 9-11 environment this legislation has been overlooked despite the prevalence and serious nature of the problem—including the devastating effects that it often has on victims, their families, and their communities. At the time of Dr. Akom’s encounter with racial profiling state and federal protections against racial profiling continue to be grossly insufficient.

On this site, you can learn more about Dr. Akom's case, what YOU can do to win justice for Dr. Akom and other victims of institutional racism, and how YOU can help rebuild a movement that challenges racial profiling in all its forms.

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