Black rage (law)

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In the USA, black rage refers to the innovative defense proposed, but not used, for the Colin Ferguson mass murder trial. Ferguson's lawyers argued that he should not be held criminally liable, for actions which broke the law, because he was overcome with rage at society's racist discrimination against African-Americans. Ferguson rejected the advice of his lawyer and represented himself, arguing instead that he was completely innocent; he was found guilty and imprisoned.

Black rage is derived from a book by black psychologists, William Grier and Price Cobbs. In their work, entitled, "Black Rage," Grier and Cobbs argue that black people living in a racist, white supremacist society are psychologically damaged by the effects of racist oppression. This damage causes black people to act abnormally in certain situations.

[edit] Popular culture

The term black rage became a joke in movies like Chasing Amy, where an African-American character in the movie began shouting the term when he became angry.