Fearing the Other

Are Americans afraid of black men? That's one of the issues at the heart of the national debate over the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. This hour, we take a closer look at negative stereotypes about African American men, how those biases affect our justice system, and what we might be able to do about it.

Note: The murder of two New York City police officers over the weekend will likely shape the debate over race in this country in the weeks to come. This episode, which was recorded a few days before the tragic shooting, was our examination of one component of racial tension: fear. We hope to continue talking about the subject in the weeks to come.