Shopping while black: consumer racial profiling in America

"Shopping while Black: Consumer Racial Profiling lays out the results of more than a decade of research on consumer racial profiling (CRP). Gabbidon and Higgins address the generally neglected profiling that occurs in retail settings, and more generally the offense of shoplifting. Although there is no easily accessible national database from which to study the problem, they survey relevant legal cases and available data sources. This problem clearly affects a large number of racial/ethnic minorities, and causes real harm to the victims, such as the emotional trauma attached to being falsely accused of shoplifting. Their analysis is informed by their own experience: one co-author is a former security executive for a large retailer, and both are Black men who understand firsthand the sting of being profiled because of color. After providing an overview of the history of CRP and the official and unofficial data sources and criminological literature on this topic, they address public opinion polls, as well as the extent and impact of victimization, concluding with a review of CRP litigation. This book is appropriate for researchers as well as advanced undergraduates and graduate students in Criminology, Black Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, and Law programs, and will be of interest to the general reader"--