Respectability Politics: A mirror into the black community

Program Abstract This presentation seeks to provoke deep and meaningful discussion related to issues of respectability within the African American community. More specifically, this presentation seeks to prompt audience members to critically evaluate the social practices of African American people that are deeply-seated in elitism and promote a culture of exclusion. By gaining a deeper knowledge of how racialized policing behaviors negatively affect our community, we aim to provide audience members with strategies for enduring and overcoming this issue. Program Summary The primary purpose of this presentation is aimed at facilitating a thought-provoking discussion centered around respectability politics. In achieving such, this presentation seeks to create a safe space for African Americans to engage in deep and meaningful conversations related to respectability. To accomplish this desired goal, scholarly research and advanced sociology theory will guide this demonstration. The secondary aim of this presentation is to inform audience members of the dangers associated with societal practices that perpetuate elitism and exclusion within the African American community. In accomplishing this goal, audience members will be provided with a brief history of the concept of respectability. In addition to this, audience members will be provided a number of examples and be asked to critically analyze the shortcomings of racialized policing behaviors. In efforts to reduce the prevalence of this issue, however, program facilitators will provide audience members with strategies for enduring and overcoming issues of respectability. This presentation will focus on and thus, discuss three areas in which respectability politics are most common: professionalism, social activism, and elite groups/hierarchical social structures