Fairness in the Criminal Sentencing for African Americans: Fact or Myth?

This paper focused on factors of fairness in criminal justice sentencing for African Americans. Many non-whites believe that the criminal justice system is unfair to African Americans. Review of the literature found race to be the most compelling factor in the measure of fairness in the criminal justice system. According to findings by the United States Sentencing Commission; African American men received 19.1 percent longer sentences than their White counterparts. (Sentencing Project, 2018). African Americans are being sentenced and imprisoned at higher rates than the general population. The researcher focused on exploring factors likely to explain major factors of fairness in sentencing by the criminal justice system in the United States of America. This article is a call for action for global citizens to become more aware of the history of African Americans and their significance in the ongoing struggle for the human development and liberation of all oppressed peoples.