what is racial profiling?

Answer 1

SHORT ANSWER: Pulling somebody over because they're black would be a classic example.

LONGER EXPLANATION:
The term 'racial profiling' is usually used in reference to a type of prejudice in law enforcement.

Profiling, in regards to criminal justice, means making an assessment of what a criminal will look or act like -- family history, social status, upbringing, etc. For example: if police have been finding bodies of murder victims buried in remote parts of a large forest, they may profile the killer as a white male outdoorsman in his mid 30's to early 40's who has lived in the area for many years.

Racial profiling is different in that it is a proactive approach to law enforcement, where somebody makes a judgement about whether or not somebody is a criminal based on their race.

Answer 2

Profiling is whereby a certain sub group of a larger group is picked. Example almost no prize winning olympic swimmer is ethnically black African. Now imagine you are giving out scholarships for swimming. The profile in front of you tells you that almost no black African will ever get one (assuming its merit based).

Placing a criteria based on ethnic background is then called racial profiling and is something that some folks are against. Even without racial profiling the number of black Africans in your swimming example above would still be low, assuming you were not racially profiling.

However its hard to prove either way. So many advocates of anti-racial profiling will then ask you to prove you did not racially profile. Yet without many people in the group being able to qualify the accusation of racial profiling is scarily difficult to combat.

Answer 3

Get ready for some heated answers :)

From the ever useful wikipedia:

"Racial profiling is the inclusion of race as a primary determinant in the characterization of a persons considered likely to commit a particular type of crime (see Offender Profiling). Towards the end of the 20th century in the United States, the practice fell into disfavor with the general public as abuses by law enforcement came to light."

Note, it isn't just "white cops picking on xxxxx race" it can go all ways.

Answer 4

"Jewish Schweinhund!," bellows the stormtrooper, "Who was responsible
for the Fatherland's defeat in 1918 and the chaos which followed?"

"The Jews," said the old man, "and the bicycle riders."

"I don't understand. Why the bicycle riders?"

"Why the Jews?"

Answer 5

That is when ignorant racist police officers pull over people because they have a skin color they associate with bad people.