Statistics paint a grim picture. The Death Penalty Information Center reports that as of October 2023, Black people make up 28% of the total US population but 41% of those sentenced to death. This disparity persists even when controlling for factors like crime rates. Research by the National Academy of Sciences found that Black defendants are more likely to receive a death sentence than similarly situated white defendants. This undeniable bias taints every step of the legal process, from initial arrests to final sentencing decisions.

The roots of this bias lie deep in America’s history of slavery and Jim Crow segregation. Racial profiling, unconscious bias among police and legal professionals, and socioeconomic factors that disproportionately impact Black communities all contribute to a system stacked against Black defendants. This is not justice; it is the perpetuation of historical wrongs under a cloak of legality.