Officer Wilson’s racialization of Mike Brown: a discourse of race, gender, and mental health

Mike Brown an 18-year-old, unarmed African American male, was stopped, while on foot, by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer named Darren Wilson, on August 9th, 2014. The encounter ended with Officer Wilson firing several shots, striking and killing Mike Brown Jr. Wilson’s testimony, specifically his description of Mike Brown, is critical in better understanding the perception of Black bodies, particularly Black young men such as Brown in society. Wilson constructs a testimony highlighting the functionality and significance of race and gender. Wilson’s testimony contains language which further racializes Black men as a threat in society and is important in exploring the implications racialized narratives created for Black males and their mental health.