Seeing Isn’t Believing
In a society where “seeing is believing” usually holds true, skepticism about police shootings of unarmed individuals remains puzzling. This doubt is especially strong when white officers shoot unarmed Black people. Despite clear video evidence, many still question whether the police acted wrongly, with some even blaming the victims. Understanding this requires examining cognitive biases, societal conditioning, and systemic racism.
Cognitive Dissonance and Belief Perseverance
Cognitive dissonance explains part of this skepticism. People struggle when faced with conflicting beliefs or information. Many have been conditioned to see police as protectors. Admitting that officers, especially white ones, can act wrongly or out of racial bias creates discomfort. This conflict leads to a refusal to accept the truth, even when it’s visible.
Belief perseverance also plays a role. People often hold onto their initial beliefs despite contradictory evidence. Once someone believes that police always act justly, they interpret new information to support this belief. This explains why some individuals defend officers and suggest the victim should have complied, rather than acknowledging possible police misconduct.
The Role of Implicit Bias
Implicit bias significantly influences how people perceive these incidents. Research shows many harbor unconscious biases linking Blackness with criminality or danger. These biases shape how people interpret the actions of police and victims. White individuals may instinctively justify the officer’s actions, even when evidence suggests otherwise. Some Black individuals, influenced by internalized racism, might similarly justify the officer’s actions or hesitate to support the victim fully.
Societal Conditioning’s Impact
Societal conditioning also shapes perceptions. In America, a long-standing narrative portrays police officers as authority figures who always serve justice. Media reinforces this image, casting law enforcement as heroes and protectors. When an officer’s actions appear unjust, many default to believing the officer had a valid reason, even if it’s unclear. This belief is especially strong among white individuals, who are less likely to have negative experiences with police and more likely to internalize the “good cop” narrative.
For some Black people, skepticism stems from a mix of fear, resignation, and self-preservation. They may see aligning with the police, or avoiding open challenges, as a safer choice in a society where questioning law enforcement can lead to social ostracism or violence.
Victim Blaming and the Myth of Compliance
Victim blaming, often with phrases like “you should have just complied,” serves as a psychological defense. By blaming the victim’s behavior, people maintain their belief in a just world where bad things only happen to those who deserve them. This belief offers comfort, suggesting that following the rules guarantees safety. However, this mindset ignores the reality that compliance doesn’t always ensure safety, especially for Black people in police encounters.
Why Young African Americans Still Resist
Some young African Americans continue to resist or argue with white police officers despite clear risks. They often see compliance not as a path to safety, but as surrender to an unjust system. Resisting, even at personal risk, becomes a protest against systemic racism. Repeated exposure to police violence, either personally or through media, can also lead to fear and anger, making rational decisions difficult in stressful situations.
Skepticism about police shootings of unarmed individuals, especially when involving white officers and Black victims, stems from cognitive biases, societal conditioning, and systemic racism. Recognizing these factors is essential to addressing the issue and fostering a just and equitable society. Only by confronting these psychological dynamics can we change the narrative and ensure that “seeing” truly becomes “believing” when it comes to police accountability.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu