Serial Killer in Michigan Targeting African American Men

There are reports of a serial killer in Flint, Mich,, who is allegedly targeting black men in the area. To date, he has murdered five people and wounded eight others, and only one of the victims is non-black. He is described as a muscular young white male, according to Flint police.

The Associated Press is reporting that all of the victims were out alone at night. The attacker approached by asking for directions or help with a broken-down vehicle. "He then pulls a knife and attacks them without saying anything more," Johnson said.

The presence of a serial killer targeting African Americans may only inspire additional racial tensions after Omar Thornton murdered several white colleagues in the workplace. In fact, I would argue that this kind of thing happens more often than we think, but those cases may not be highlighted by the media.

What we also have to remember is that the idea of a white man killing several black people may not imply that racial hatred is the driving force behind his decision to murder. Flint is a city that is predominantly black, and what we've defined to be a serial killer with a broader social agenda may simply be a hired hit man for a local drug dealer. He may also, unfortunately, be a man who lives in a black neighborhood who has simply decided to murder other people. This does not, of course, belittle the tragedy experienced by those in Flint and the families of the victims, since killing is wrong no matter who is targeted by the violence.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.