Analysis Of The Film Crips And Bloods: Made In America

The film, Crips and Bloods: Made in America, analyzes the social conditions of young African Americans associated with gang violence in South Los Angeles. Given limited opportunities aside from education and employment, many young teens were forced to partake in drug-related gangs in order to survive on the streets of South Los Angeles. The barriers that segregated whites from blacks led to the poor economic conditions of these African American communities. Dr. Josh Sides discusses how those who crossed specific boundaries were harassed and put into place. One scenario can demonstrated by Bird, whom he talks about being detained and questioned by police as to why he had been robbing. He reacts by saying, “What does a robber look like…he looks

just like you.” (Crips and Bloods: Made in America). In other words, authorities perceive African Americans as unitary, in a sense that they are all criminals.

When police become belligerent for unnecessary reasons, this causes public turmoil. An example of this is shown during the Watts Riots of 1965, when a twenty-one year old motorist was held suspicion for drunk driving and disputes about the situation became overwhelming as the crowd began throwing rocks. Many have considered it a racist traffic stop and without a doubt, this can lead to violence.

Sometimes, the use of force may be necessary to maintain order, when police officers pertain towards self-defense. When a suspect fights back and tries to cause harm to an innocent individual, the need for brute force is important for these cases. However, during the Watts Riots, when property was being vandalized and destroyed by the public community, as well as, parts of the affluent community in Hollywood, it became evident to police for them to stop this public outbreak. According to Senator, Tom Hayden, he describes these African gangs as “dysfunctional” due to the fact that these people are unemployed and uneducated. Furthermore, he concludes by saying, “Our society did not contribute to the formation of this problem...the gang member is the scapegoat...nothing is our fault.” (Crips and Bloods: Made in America). This comes to show that they are hopeless in a way that prevents them from being civilized human beings.