The use of the term “thug” by President Obama became the zenith of the word's use to characterize primarily individuals and groups of Black males. On April 28, 2015, President Barack Obama referred to a collection of citizens from Baltimore, Maryland as “criminals and thugs” in response to a question about the recent rebellion that broke following the death of Freddie Gray i while in police custody.

This study also aims to elucidate a contemporary understanding of race relations, racism, and the plight of the Black male in a 21-century “post-racial” America. Action research methodology in the data collection process is utilized to interpret how Black male victims are portrayed by traditional mass media, particularly through the use of language, in ways that marginalize and de-victimize these individuals. This paper investigates the historical criminalization of Black males and its connection to contemporary unarmed victims of law enforcement. Despite the connection between disproportionate criminality and Black masculinity, little research has been done on how unarmed Black male victims, particularly but not exclusively at the hands of law enforcement, have been posthumously criminalized.

In the 21 st century, this negative imagery of Black males has frequently utilized the negative connotation of the terminology “ thug.” In recent years, law enforcement agencies have unreasonably used deadly force on Black males allegedly considered to be “suspects” or “persons of interest.” The exploitation of these often-targeted victims' criminal records, physical appearances, or misperceived attributes has been used to justify their unlawful deaths. Misconceptions and prejudices manufactured and disseminated through various channels such as the media included references to a “ brute” image of Black males. Documented historical accounts have shown how myths, stereotypes, and racist ideologies led to discriminatory policies and court rulings that fueled racial violence in a post-Reconstruction era and has culminated in the exponential increase of Black male incarceration today.

The synonymy of Blackness with criminality is not a new phenomenon in America.

Black and pink houses meme