Murray Forman

In this opinion piece, Murray Forman suggests that whether gangsta rap may be a true reflection of urban reality or an exploitative style that encourages a culture of violence-or both-it nonetheless has a lesson to impart about the way African Americans view the police. Forman earned a graduate degree in media and culture at Concordia University and is a contributor to the Toronto Star.

BLACK YOUTHS ARE RARELY HEARD IN OFFICIAL discussions on the issue of police violence. They are, in many cases, the backdrop to the issue, providing the bleeding bodies which catalyze the ensuing public response. When they aren't the victims, they are reduced to members of the angry mob, again simply as bodies clustered tightly together at noisy demonstrations.

Police visits to youth clubs and schools don't even begin to break the ice; the...