A Different Kind of Terror Alert
Threat of racism this week upgraded to Elevated; RIP Ousmane Zongo and Alberta Spruill

Africana.com's weekly racism indicator, The Africana Racism Threat Index, has been upgraded to "Elevated:"

Assessment: While the level of threat posed by racism likely held static in most of the country, the threat to black people in New York City skyrocketed to high-to-severe levels. The police shooting of Ousmane Zongo and the death of Alberta Spruill painted a picture of callous official disregard for the lives and safety of black people, while the low likelihood anyone will pay for these two deaths with jail time suggested there is still little justice to be had from the NYPD. On the cultural front, the myth of the black male rapist made a comeback thanks to Mike Tyson and Fox News, Tyson's random, pointless outburst during a leeway value interview titillating racist audiences with images of sexualized black rage.

Rising and Falling Indicators: Police brutality still RISING. Myth of the black male rapist is RISING. The Jayson-ization of black professionals is FALLING.

In case you're not aware, 35-year-old African immigrant Ousmane Zongo is the latest innocent unarmed black man to be shot and killed by a New York City police officer. He was shot four times by a plainclothes white officer conducting a raid on a CD/DVD-counterfeiting ring (Zongo had no involvement with the ring).

Alberta Spruill is the 57-year-old Harlem woman who died of a heart attack after police mistakenly raided her apartment, detonated a concussion grenade and handcuffed her. Although her death has been ruled a homicide, this doesn't necessarily mean the police will be held liable.

When will it end?