Racial Bias in Collective Versus Individual Blame

America does not describe violence neutrally. The language used by media, law enforcement, and the public reflects a hierarchy that has existed since slavery: white individuals are treated as individuals, while Black individuals are treated as representatives of an entire race. 

This disparity is especially clear in crime reporting. 

A white man who commits mass violence is almost immediately labeled a “lone wolf,” “troubled,” “isolated,” or “mentally ill.”
When a Black person commits violence, the narrative shifts toward collective blame, community failure, or racial pathology.