Justifying Political Violence: African American Attitudes Toward Protests Against Police Attacks on Black People

Abstract

Concern over the breadth of support for political violence is rising among scholars. However, important unanswered questions remain: First, are attitudes toward political violence, as commonly measured, too abstract to have any real-life meaning? Second, how do ever-present contextual factors shape judgments in the events in which violence materializes? Third, given that African Americans are so often on the receiving end of violence, how supportive are Black people of the use of political violence? Finally, what accounts for variability among Black people in attitudes toward violence—what role is played by experiences with unfair treatment by the police and in-group attachments and identities? Based on a nationally representative panel survey of African Americans, I provide empirical answers to each of these important questions. Black support for political violence is indeed connected to both identities and experiences, as well as to core values such as support for the rule of law.